Coleraine woman marks ten years cancer free as Action Cancer launches legacy campaign
“I decided to leave a Gift in my Will because I was really grateful for the services that were available to me at a time when I needed them.”
The words of Coleraine woman Linda Wisener who has marked ten years free from cancer and is backing Action Cancer’s legacy campaign.
Each year, Action Cancer supports 15,000 people who are at risk of cancer or affected by a diagnosis, providing free breast and skin cancer detection, therapeutic support and health improvement services across the region.
According to the charity’s Create Your Legacy Guide, Gifts in Wills contribute an average of £500,000 annually, directly funding these vital services and enabling Action Cancer to reach more people in more locations.
As the charity receives no regular government funding, Legacy Gifts play a crucial role in sustaining and expanding its work.
The campaign features the story of Coleraine woman Linda Wisener, a social worker, who has spent more than three decades supporting families through adoption services.
At the age of 44, after discovering a lump during a routine examination, Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer. She describes hearing the words “you have breast cancer” as devastating and overwhelming, and recalls struggling with anxiety and fear throughout her treatment. As someone used to helping others, she found herself unsure where to turn for support.
Linda said: “Action Cancer provided a number of services for me for which I am really grateful. I did reflexology, which helped with sleeping and reducing anxiety, and counselling, which helped me put things in perspective. This year I am ten years cancer free, something I wasn’t sure I would see when I first received my diagnosis.”
She and her husband have now chosen to leave a Gift in their Will to Action Cancer.
“I decided to leave a Gift in my Will because I was really grateful for the services that were available to me at a time when I needed them, and I wanted to do that for somebody else.
"It’s my hope that another woman, another mother, another wife going through the same as what I did would get the services and the same kindness that I did from Action Cancer.”
To learn more visit www.actioncancer.org/legacy or contact the Gifts in Wills team on 028 9080 3344 (option 2) or [email protected].