“My sister, aunt and I were all diagnosed with breast cancer within just eight months of each other
– my own diagnosis was at the age of just 38. This year, I’ll be taking on the Half Moon (13.1 miles) at The MoonWalk Scotland for the fourth time. After everything our family has gone through, it’s an event I absolutely love and which is very close to my heart. There was already a history of breast cancer in the family, when I originally discovered a lump in my breast in 2015 – my gran and her two sisters had both unfortunately died from the disease. When I first went to the doctor, I was told that everything was fine and that it was just a blocked milk duct.
Over the next few years, the lump got bigger, but it wasn’t until my aunt Audrey was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2018, that I went back to my GP.
At the age of 38, I still wasn’t classed as a priority
and it wasn’t until August that year that I was finally diagnosed with breast cancer and started treatment later that month. Unfortunately, there was more to come – three months after I was diagnosed, my sister Sarah-Jane was also told she had breast cancer after finding a lump.
My aunt, sister and I all supported each other through our treatment at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee – through the double mastectomies which we all had and also during chemotherapy. I went to support my auntie while she had chemo, she came to support me and then I went with my sister!
Throughout everything, I’ve had a very positive mindset and that’s still the way I think about what has happened to us all. I’m now well, recovered and in good health, as are my sister and my aunt. I’m taking the hormone therapy tamoxifen to prevent my breast cancer coming back and will be on it for another four years.
I just love the atmosphere at The MoonWalk Scotland
– the way that everyone unites together for the same cause, but with each person having their own different reasons for walking. My first two MoonWalks, in 2006 and 2007 – were in memory of my gran and her two sisters. They were still very much in my thoughts when I took part again in 2023 with my sister Sarah Jane and aunt Audrey and other family members, after the three of us had been diagnosed too.
This year I’m walking with an entirely different group of people – a wonderful group of colleagues from the primary school where I work. We wanted to sign up for a charity event together and I was delighted that The MoonWalk Scotland received the most votes! Some of my newer colleagues won’t know much about my story, but I don’t want to have too much of the emphasis on me, as I know that each of us will have been touched by breast cancer in a different way.
In 2023, our family team raised more than £6,000 taking part in The MoonWalk Scotland
and this year my work team hopes to raise even more for such an incredible cause. As well as vital funds which will help fund such fantastic projects here in Scotland, I want to raise awareness about the importance of checking your breasts regularly, even if you’re still young, as I was when I was diagnosed. We all need to know what “normal” feels like, so that we can act quickly if we notice any changes”.
Thank you for sharing your story Barbara-Ann and we look forward to seeing you and your team at The MoonWalk Scotland 2025!