'Being a fundraiser helped my cancer recovery'
"After something so terrible, it's so nice to be able to do something positive for the community."
Gina Gray, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, said fundraising has helped her get back to normal, after her experience had taken its toll on her mental health.
The mother-of-four from Cradley Heath, who underwent a double mastectomy and radiotherapy at the Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, wanted to give something back to those who cared for her.
She has since donated £10,000 to the hospital's breast cancer care unit to show her appreciation.
Ms Gray said she was grateful towards the hospital for more than her cancer treatment.
"My four children were born there, my husband had minor surgery there, it's on the doorstep and it has always been good to us. I appreciate all that."
She decided to host an event at the Copthorne Hotel in Merry Hill, which included an afternoon tea with games, as well as a black tie event in the evening.
Ms Gray sold 500 tickets to women from across the country and raised £36,000 in total.
She decided to split the money between cancer charities and the hospital's breast cancer unit.
Initially, Ms Gray only set out to raise £5,000, but said fundraising helped her to feel better.
"It has given me something good to focus on and it drives me and helps with all the recovery and healing", she added.
Ms Gray returned to the care unit to hand over the cheque and said the nurses remembered her story.
"They were all really grateful and it is really personal, they are the ones who pick up the pieces and look after you."
Rachael Willetts, who is a nurse consultant at the unit, said the donation would enable them to improve the space where they discuss patients' diagnoses and treatment plans.
"One of the projects on our wish list is the refurbishment of non-clinical counselling rooms, we want to create relaxing spaces where our patients can feel comfortable."
"We are so grateful to Gina's generous donation for making this possible", she added.
Ms Gray said she planned to donate more money to the hospital following another fundraising day in June.
Ms Gray is now in remission, however she said she had struggled to come to terms with "how different things could have been".
From the age of 50, women registered with a GP are invited for an NHS breast screening every three years until the age of 71.
Ms Gray said she was "a bit of an unusual case", as she was not old enough to be invited for a screening, but contacted her doctor after she felt an abnormality on her left side.
"I was on the younger side, being 43 with no family history. I'm fit and healthy, I didn't have any major risk factors."
She was diagnosed with a ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an early form of breast cancer, on her left side and an invasive grade 2 carcinoma tumour on her right side.
'Everything is questioned'
The mother-of-four said although she was now "physically fine", her diagnosis continued to impact her mental health.
"It really affects you mentally and that's what it's doing now, once you've had cancer you always live in fear of the cancer returning."
"I'm paranoid about what I eat, the environment I'm in, what I drink, everything is questioned."
"Recurrence is a big fear", she added.
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