When Holly Macbeth's mum was diagnosed with cancer back in 1988, she had no idea what the future held for her.
In 1988, Holly Macbeth's mum, Christine, was diagnosed with cancer. However, she did not let her illness slow her down. In fact, she worked tirelessly to support cancer charities for more than 25 years - and now her legacy lives on.
Mother, grandmother, great-grandmother
My mother Christine was a wife to John for 45 years. A Mother to Neal, Colin, Alexander, Tim and I. A grandmother to Laura, Megan, Ashlea, Alex, Rosie, Chloe, Oscar, Ava & Ronnie. A Great-Grandmother to Elodie, Aubrey & Olive.
She is sadly missed by family and friends; the lady who touched many people’s lives with her passion and dedication in the fight against breast cancer.
Her first diagnosis over 20 years ago
She saw much advancement in the detection and treatment of breast cancer since she was first diagnosed in 1988, but unfortunately it was the long-term effects of earlier treatments for the disease which ultimately contributed to her failing health. Many of these life-saving improvements have come from the research laboratories and hospitals of Breast Cancer Now (formerly Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Breast Cancer Campaign charities) and she was very proud to have raised over £400,000 since she first founded the Somerset group back in 1997 with her husband, John.
Her work was also recognised with several awards, including the Bristol Evening Post's Woman of courage 2002 and BBC Inspiration Award 2008. She was also involved in an all-party parliamentary committee on breast cancer.
She didn't let further diagnosis stop her
Despite further diagnosis in 2001 and whilst undergoing treatment, she continued to lead the group, raising money and awareness for Breakthrough with a whole string of events, including:
- A Tug of War completion with presenters of ITV
- Twist on the Beach in 2002 recognised by the Guinness Book of Records
- A visit to Burnham-on-Sea from the Rugby World Cup relay message ball in 1999 on its way to Cardiff Arms Park (now Millennium Stadium)
- Pulling Humphrey the Camel around the streets of Bath
- Launching Julie's Legacy in 2011
- A world record attempt for the largest rugby scrum
- Christmas shopping fairs, summer fetes and annual gala balls
- Pink balloon walks, fashion shows, wicked women evenings and ladies' nights
- Golf events, skydives, quiz and race nights
It feels impossible to list all the events she organised and inspired, but even after almost two decades of fundraising she continued to be thrilled by every type of support given to the group, whether it was news of a fresh collection tin being placed on a local shop counter or a pair of 4K TVs being donated for our ball auction.
She was always passionate about the cause
My mum's passion for the fight against breast cancer also benefited local people as well as Breakthrough’s world class research centres; in 2009, on behalf of the Somerset Women's Campaign, she was delighted to present cheques totaling £80,000 to four Somerset clinics, including the Breast Care Centre at Weston General Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital.
It was always a family affair, and she would involve us - or should I say, twist our arm - on most occasions to come along and support her. After my second daughter, Chloe, I asked mum if I could officially join the group, and was soon thrown in as the secretary and took over this side for her. We have always been close as I was her only daughter, but I truly believe this brought us closer. My siblings and I had seen our mum go through cancer for the second time and watching the way her whole life changed was very hard to go through. However, I’m eternally thankful for the care, treatment and support she received as this helped her fight on long enough to see her grandchildren be born.
She worked so hard
As her health started to decline once again in 2014, mum knew she had to take a step back as she didn’t have the strength to continue anymore and so she asked me to run the group for her. How could I say no! She worked so hard to get us to where we were and I felt I needed to do it for her. It also helped me to keep focused and strive forward as I knew mum's time with us was short. 2015 was probably the hardest year of our life, as mum declined very quickly. The strong independent woman she once was was fading before us. However, the group remained strong and we pushed forward with our events knowing this is what she would want.
We know mum is no longer here, but her presence is huge in everything we do. She will always be remembered and is the main reason why we continue on with her work. I have had several personal breast cancer scares and I’m thankful that I’m highly monitored, but there are those as we know who are not so lucky. However, with the research and support that Breast Cancer Now provides, I’m passionate that we will find a cure by 2050 and I will continue to carry on mum’s legacy in any way I can.
Her amazing legacy
Mum would be thrilled to know that since she started the group our fundraising total as of end of year 2018 brings us to over £536,318. Which is a huge testament to her legacy still striving forward and continuing her amazing work. The group couldn’t be more proud of what we have achieved so far and the huge support we have in our local area for our events. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we smash that £1 million target and achieve Breast Cancer Now's goal that by 2050, everyone diagnosed with breast cancer can live, and live well.
Thanks to people like Holly and Christine, we can continue our work in supporting those with breast cancer. We always love hearing about people who have worked hard for our cause, and think it's important to recognise such incredible efforts.