A SCOTS charity has celebrated raising an impressive £1 million for breast cancer research.
Edinburgh-based charity Make 2nds Count have reached the milestone after extensive fundraising efforts.
The UK-wide charity focuses on patients and families of women and men living with secondary breast cancer and has been donating £270,000 in research funds to the Universities of Edinburgh, Warwick, Liverpool and Sussex.
It also launched the Patient Trial Advocate Service, in partnership with NHS Lothian, last year which has already helped 65 patients gain vital information about clinical trials.
Founder Lisa Fleming, 38, set up the charity in 2018 after being diagnosed with secondary breast cancer.
The disease – also known as metastatic, advanced or stage IV breast cancer – is an incurable cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body.
Lisa had no primary diagnosis, warning signs or lump when she was told the disease had already spread to the majority of her bones.
She now continues to live with the disease – knowing it is also a death sentence.
The disease can be treated but, on average, there are around 35,000 patients in the UK living with secondary breast cancer and the death toll is around 1,000 women a month.
The £1 million milestone was reached thanks to activities including an Inaugural Gala Ball at Edinburgh’s Prestonfield House Hotel.
As well as this, £500,000 was obtained from individual fundraisers who took part in events from abseiling off the Forth Rail Bridge to skydiving, trekking the Arctic, running 12 marathons in 12 days and walking 500 miles.
Speaking on the achievement, Lisa said: “Reaching our £1 million fundraising milestone is just the most exciting start to what we predict will be another productive year for us.
“And while we look forward to achieving so much more, I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us reach that phenomenal million-pound total.
“Our supporters really do provide a lifeline and without them we would be unable to make the progress we have accomplished in raising awareness of this disease, in funding dedicated research and in facilitating projects like access to patient trials.
“Every contribution and donation are enormously appreciated.”
