Dawn's story

On the 16th of February 2018, my world stopped

I was told the words no one ever wants to hear: “You have breast cancer”, triple-positive HER2 breast cancer. I remember feeling numb, as if everything around me went silent. I looked at my family and thought, ‘How will I tell them? How will I get through this?’ 

What followed were months that tested every ounce of strength I had. 6 rounds of brutal chemotherapy left me weak and broken. And my body was foreign to me. There were days I couldn’t recognise myself in the mirror. My hair fell, my energy vanished and yet I kept going. Because I had to.  

I pushed through exhaustion and fear

Then came surgery — a lumpectomy — followed by 20 sessions of radiotherapy. Each day, I pushed through exhaustion and fear. Twice, I faced neutropenia, my immune system wiped out, my body fighting to stay upright. But somehow, I did.  

This wasn’t my first battle with illness. Since 1990, I’ve lived with Crohn’s disease. I thought I knew what it meant to fight. Cancer taught me something different — a deeper kind of resilience, one that comes from the soul. There were moments I felt completely alone, and others where I was surrounded by love so powerful it carried me through the darkest nights. My husband, children and friends became my anchors when I couldn’t find my own strength.  

Cancer changes you

It strips you down, but it also rebuilds you in ways you don’t expect. It taught me to slow down, to notice life’s quiet miracles — the sound of laughter, the warmth of sunlight, the beauty of ordinary days. Today, I live with gratitude. My scars tell a story of survival — not of weakness, but of courage. I have learned that healing isn’t just physical. It’s emotional, spiritual and deeply human.  

I share my story for anyone who is standing at the start of their own journey, feeling scared and uncertain. Even on the hardest days, there is hope. Because I am living proof that life after cancer, though different, can be beautiful. 

My personal experience with breast cancer is my main reason for joining Wear It Pink each year. This is my way of saying thank you to everyone that had a direct or indirect link with me being here and alive today. 

We took part in Wear It Pink at work in 2025

It was an amazing day and awesome to see the support showed by everyone that got involved.  

We played bingo throughout the factory, held a raffle with gifts donated by suppliers and local businesses, and one of our teams created a ‘Pink Hamper’ full of different items to be raffled. Our Production Manager even had his head and beard shaved! And we hosted one of our favourite things here at the factory, a cake sale, which is always a winner! 

The highlight for me was seeing how much support the whole team gave. I was so proud of the team I’m part of.  

For anyone considering taking part this year, my top tip would be to just enjoy the day. And make it fun!