Wendy shares what led her to pledge a gift in her will, to help change the future of breast cancer.
Many years ago, I was a hairdresser working in a salon in Reading, where I got to know a very special lady called Clare.
We quickly became friends and spent a lot of time together as we had so much in common.
I suggested she go to see her GP
Clare eventually got married to a lovely man and had a sweet little baby boy. He was gorgeous and Clare was so happy, but she complained of having “lumpy boobs”.
I remember suggesting she should get them checked.
The news was devastating. The diagnosis was breast cancer, and soon after she was told it had spread to other parts of her body and was incurable [secondary breast cancer].
It seemed so cruel - she was only 40 and had just given birth to her longed-for child. I can even picture myself now sat at my desk when she rang me at work and told me.
I felt like I needed to do more, so I started fundraising
She was one of my best friends, and I did everything I could to support her, but I wanted to do even more. So, I started to raise money for Breast Cancer Now in her name, which I’ve continued to this day.
It’s been 12 years since I lost my dear friend Clare and I still miss her terribly.
A few years ago, I decided to do something more to keep her memory alive and I arranged to leave a gift in my will to Breast Cancer Now - something that would forever be a reminder of our friendship.
It's not only a legacy for me, but a legacy for Clare too
Through Clare and my fundraising, I got to know quite a bit about Breast Cancer Now and I know that the gift will help people like Clare who’ll need their support in the future.
A will is a positive thing because you’re writing down what you want to be done once you’re gone.
And it’s something simple we can all do now, to keep a loved one’s memory alive and help others in the future.
Leaving a gift like Wendy has done is a lasting way to support the work we do. Once you’ve made arrangements for your loved ones, a gift in your will to Breast Cancer Now helps to make sure that other people affected by breast cancer can receive the support they need in years to come.
Find out more about ways to remember a loved one