In March 2019 my sister-in-law Emma Hillier was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  Emma was only 37 at the time and it came as a huge shock to everyone. 

Since then, Emma has been on an incredibly courageous journey, fighting with this cruel disease every step of the way.  One mastectomy and reconstruction, endless rounds of chemo, hair loss, infertility, herceptin, hormone treatments and scans galore.  Let’s then throw Covid into the mix which has meant Emma has had to go to so many of these appointments alone.

Emma is a mum just like me - our little ones are just 9 months apart in age and they are the best of friends.  Her amazing husband Chris has been her absolute rock, and her 3 year old son Joseph is just a ray of sunshine – we love them all so dearly.

Emma has been so amazingly brave and inspirational in the way she has continuously fought this battle, and her brother Paul and I are so very proud of her.  Emma’s cancer has spread aggressively and she is now Stage 4 with Secondary Breast Cancer, and the prognosis is definitely not what we’ve been hoping for.    

Throughout her journey, Emma has been on a mission to raise awareness about Breast Cancer and the importance of checking for lumps regularly.  Emma’s bravery in sharing her story far and wide via social media has prompted several of my friends to get suspicious lumps checked.  I now want to help Emma with that mission and also raise money for a charity close to her heart – Make 2nds Count. 

Make 2nds Count is a patient and family focused charity dedicated to giving hope to families living with secondary breast cancer.  The work they do is absolutely phenomenal in terms of research, education and providing support.

How can you help?

Emma’s go-to wardrobe essential in a time of crisis (well, pretty much all the time really!) is leopard print, and she wears it brilliantly.  So on Friday 12th March, we would love you to wear as much (or as little) animal print as possible and then make a donation towards Make 2nds Count.  Or if leopard print isn’t your thing, please sponsor my 3 year old daughter Izzy and I - we are planning to dress to impress!

It would be absolutely wonderful if you could ‘Wear it and Share it’ – so spread the word via social media to all your friends and family by sharing photos of your fabulous outfits.  My main aim is to raise awareness about this wonderful charity and to stress the importance of checking your boobs regularly.

Emma, you are a true inspiration and thank you for letting me share your story.