When my mum s best friend was diagnosed with cancer some 5 years ago, it was a devastating event not only for her daughters and husband, but also for us who were in her periphery.

We couldn’t fathom life without her around.  My mum had been going for her daily walk with Grace for more than 37 years. She would come knocking on our door at 6 am come rain or shine and they would go on their daily exercise passing by the baker for some fresh bread rolls which we would then have for breakfast.

Upon hearing the news I was worried for my mum who was shocked by the news and who found it hard to do alone what she had been doing for so long with her dearest friend.  We could hardly imagine what her husband and daughters were going through.  Grace  went through hell but survived her first cancer attack and slowly started to rebuilt her life again.

When I  first met the founder members of ABCF I could see that their determination to help fight this disease is not just something to be admired,  but also an  inspiration to actively help them reach out to those women who are being diagnosed on a daily basis and who are scared and terrified of its repercussions.

I promised to actively help in whatever ways I can to make their message heard and remember fondly how proud my mum and Grace were when they handed me a whole folder of signed petition papers to return to ABCF in their quest of urging government to invest in an adequate screening programme.

This Summer Grace’s cancer has returned and once again she is busy combating it. Hopefully she will be once again a survivor… Hearing her daughter’s voice on the phone trembling while telling me to once again see how I am going to break it to my mother has made me all the more determined to actively be there for ABCF and others whose main purpose is to help us all prevent this disease from  attacking our loved mothers, daughters, grandmothers, girlfriends, ourselves…… let s all help them and ourselves give a new lease of life when it s most needed.