Cetti was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, she held her first Afternoon Tea just a few months after finishing her treatment and has taken part every year since.
I’m Cetti and I'm a working mum of 2. I live in Cambridgeshire with my husband and my 2 children.
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2019, just a few days after my 50th birthday and completely out of the blue
I noticed some changes to the shape and skin around my breast. It was very concerning. I got it checked out as soon as I could. I received a positive diagnosis which led to a mastectomy in September 2019.
The cancer had unfortunately spread to the lymph nodes and required further surgery to remove those, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The radiotherapy took place in lockdown. So that was quite a challenge.
The whole time was very challenging for myself, my family and my friends
Over the last few years, I've continued to receive treatment and I've just gradually tried to get back to some kind of normal and the “old me”. The “new old me”, if you like.
Breast Cancer Now have supported me in lots of different ways.
At first, I discovered them online and when I was a bit too embarrassed or uneasy about talking to anybody, I found that really, really useful. There were lots of great signposts of where to go on the website and the Facebook live videos were an excellent form of getting advice, support and information. Contacting the helpline and speaking to the nurses was great too.
It was all very useful, and I suppose the most important thing for me was the Someone Like Me Service, where the charity matches you to someone similar to yourself going through the same sort of treatment. And that was absolutely fabulous.
It was really, really valuable to me to talk to somebody who knew what I was going through. Family and friends are there to support you, but they can't really know what you're going through, unlike somebody that's already been through it. So that was an absolutely brilliant service. And if anybody is thinking about using it, I would definitely recommend it.
I think it's hugely important that people raise money for Breast Cancer Now
I'm not very good at sitting still and I'm always on the go, which is why I took part in Afternoon Tea.
I absolutely love a good get together. And what better inspiration than doing it with cake, coffee, friends, and raising money for a brilliant charity, one that has been very supportive of me.
I had my first Afternoon Tea just a few months after I finished my treatment. Hosting the event and looking after people on the day helped me regain my sparkle.
A neighbour of mine said that you should make this an annual event. And here we are 4 years later
I'm trying to make it bigger and better. I love looking after people and it was my way of saying thank you to everybody that looked after me.
But also, a very big thank you to Breast Cancer Now for all their support.
Organising a tea is so easy. You bake it or fake it. It doesn't really matter.
Just get your friends together and, you know, stick the kettle on, ask for a few prizes for a raffle and tombola. Just get involved and have a lot of fun.
The team are there to support you and guide you, whether it's your first one, fifth, or fifteenth - so do contact them!
A few tips for people organizing an Afternoon Tea
Get a date in the diary! Make sure it’s on the calendar and everybody knows as soon as possible.
Get a list together. Make a list of everything you want to do and keep checking stuff off.
Get your friends involved. Don't be afraid to ask people to come and help, they want to, but they don't always know what to do.
Freeze ahead. I didn't even know you could freeze cakes until I started doing these afternoon teas. Freeze the cakes, get them all out and everybody thinks you've been up all-night baking. And it all looks beautiful for them to enjoy.
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Join amazing fundraisers like Cetti and hold an Afternoon Tea this August