Denny mum who beat breast cancer urges others to back fundraising appeal

Lynsey Ritchie knows exactly how vital new breakthroughs and discoveries are to help more people survive and is determined to support others going through cancer.

The Denny woman (43), whose husband Neil is a serving soldier, has spoken out one year on from her own diagnosis to highlight the devastating financial impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on Cancer Research UK.

The charity, which has played a part in developing eight out of ten of the world’s top cancer drugs, is facing a £160 million drop in income in the year ahead.

With fundraising events like Race for Life cancelled, Cancer Research UK has had to make the difficult decision to cut £44m in research funding, meaning promising projects which could have the big answers are being held up.

Mum to Cailean (8), Brodie (6), Darragh (4) and Odhran (2), Lynsey was still breastfeeding her youngest son when she visited her GP after noticing pain and a lump under her arm last year.

Hospital tests showed there was also a lump in her breast and on July 3, 2019, Lynsey was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer and received 15 rounds of chemotherapy treatment.

This spring Lynsey had 15 rounds of radiotherapy and rang the bell at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow to mark the end of her treatment.

She now hopes to draw attention to the threat the funding gap caused by coronavirus poses to future breakthroughs for those with cancer.

Her plea coincides with a new TV appeal which shows a cancer patient on the verge of finding out whether the treatment has been successful, when the video pauses at the critical moment.

Lynsey said: “It’s thanks to improved treatments that I’ve been given more precious time with my loved ones. It upsets me to think about research being held up and what this might mean for people affected by cancer in the months and years to come.

“By boosting funding now, we can all help to lessen the future impact on patients. I hope that people across Scotland will be inspired by the charity’s determination to carry on beating cancer and give what they can.”

Lynsey received messages of support from across the world thanks to her compelling blog, in which she wrote moving tales about ordering a boob cake and throwing a ‘Thanks for the mammaries’ party ahead of double mastectomy surgery.

Lynsey continued: “I’m loving and living my best life today but what a difference a year makes.

“No words will ever be able to describe the moment I knew I had cancer. It was a huge shock as I was a fit, healthy and active mum of four boys under seven.

“I rarely drank, didn’t smoke and I was still breastfeeding my baby at diagnosis. I thought I was too young to get cancer.

“The fear of the unknown was horrendous and the waiting was worse than the actual investigations, treatment and operation. Nothing was ever as bad as I feared.

“Breast cancer took away all control and left me with no choice so I decided to embark on the journey my way, opting for positivity and humour to help me on my way.”

Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman in Scotland, said: “We’re grateful to Lynsey for helping to underline the stark reality of the current situation.

“Covid-19 has put so much of our research on pause, leaving us facing a crisis where every day and every pound counts.

“With around 32,200 people diagnosed with cancer every year in Scotland, we will never stop striving to create better treatments. But we can’t do it alone.

“Whether they donate, sign up to Race for Life at Home or shop in our stores, with the help of people across Scotland we believe that together we will still beat cancer.”

Click here to make a donation to Cancer Research UK.

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