From diagnosis to determination as Debby raises thousands for Macmillan unit

These are the moving thoughts of South Eastern Trust, Senior Mental Health Practitioner, Debby Black who through a tremendous “team effort” fundraising drive, raised £5,400 for the Ulster Hospital’s Macmillan Unit.

Debby shared her cancer journey and how she found a lump in her breast “quite by accident” in December 2024 and was subsequently red flagged to the Ulster Hospital.

“I had a series of scans, biopsies, ultrasounds and I was then diagnosed with Breast Cancer,” she explained.

Debby has now completed all her cycles of her Chemotherapy treatment.

“I will now move into the next stage of my treatment which will hopefully be Breast Surgery and then Radiotherapy,” she continued. “I am currently having Immunotherapy which will continue until next year.

"The support I have received has been amazing, it has been second to none here at the Ulster Hospital.

"Macmillan Health and Wellbeing Support Worker, Sally Irvine, has signposted me to services that I did not even know existed.

"Speaking to Sally in the Support Hub has been really valuable and I have been able to open up to her about my worries, my emotional stress and about the future.”

Debby continued: “Whenever I was first diagnosed, I did not know what was ahead of me.

"You just feel the road ahead is going to be Chemotherapy and Mastectomy, but having that emotional support was just so valuable to me.

"Sally has such an amazing way with her, she is so very kind, a real knowledgeable lady and everything is given with a full heart.”

Debby, along with her sister Shelly McAllister, were so impressed with her treatment and care that they decided to host a fundraising raffle.

“We have so many good friends who supported us and the prizes kept getting bigger and bigger and within six weeks we had so many prizes.” Debby explained. “My friends and colleagues also sold tickets for the raffle, it really was a team effort.

“The amount raised is my way of giving back to the Unit. I feel really privileged to have been a patient here and I feel very blessed that I have been so well looked after by so many amazing people. I could not have got here without my friends and my family these last six months.”

Macmillan Health and Wellbeing Support Worker, Sally Irvine, thanked Debby for her support.

"Very quickly Debby and I built up a great relationship. It was a privilege to be on this journey with her and it became very obvious, very early on, that she wanted to give something back.

“The amount that Debby and her friends and family have raised is absolutely amazing.

"It has been an even bigger privilege to see Debby on her journey and how much she has embraced all her treatment and care.

“Debby started out as a patient, as a stranger, but I can say that I can count her now as my friend.

“Debby’s donation will really enhance patient care and it is fantastic to have that donation and we are so thankful for it.”