Chapel-en-le-Frith mum living with cancer donates £10,000 to fund more research

Gemma Ellis who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, and is still having chemotherapy for secondary breast cancer, donated a cheque for £10,000 to the Secondary Breast Cancer Research Project at The University Of Manchester.

The money has been raised by the community who have supported Gemma’s Stage 4 Deserves More charity, which she set up to help other women living with secondary cancer.

The 38-year-old said: “Thank you to everyone far and wide for your donations, I’m blown away by people’s generosity.

"It’s important for me to show people what their donations, pub quizzes and raffles have all gone towards.

"This huge amount of money, which has mainly been donated from people in the High Peak area, is going to help fund research for those living with incurable cancer like me, to help the next generation and beyond. I’m so proud we have raised this money together so thank you.”

Gemma was diagnosed in 2017 with inflamatory breast cancer and had chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and targeted therapies.

She was then diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in early 2018 and metastases to her spine which have more recently spread to her brain.

Gemma, a mum-of-two said: “I set up Stage 4 Deserves More because when I got my diagnosis I felt very alone and unsupported and didn’t want other people to feel like that."

Her charity makes up packs for those who have been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer and they include little treats such as face packs and mints as well as crosswords and for those who need it, a book to help explain their diagnosis to younger children.

In the last 18 months Gemma has sent out more than 600 free packs across the country and created an online support network to allow people to talk openly in a safe environment.

She said: “I started doing it for selfish reasons because I needed something to occupy my brain but I had one man make contact with me and say just how much the support from Stage 4 Deserves More meant to his wife and I was blown away. I realised I was making a difference to people.”

On July 2 Gemma, represented her charity, and presented a cheque for £10,000 to help set up a Secondary Breast Cancer Research Project at The University Of Manchester which her research and trials team are involved in at The Christie.

She said: “This is something I dreamed about being able to do when I first set up Stage 4 Deserves More and I'm so grateful to each and everyone of you that have supported me and made this possible.

“Thank you so so much for all your support, donations, fundraising, raising awareness. I certainly couldn't be achieving this on my own.”

To follow Gemma’s journey or to make a donation to her Stage 4 Deserves More Charity visit www.stage4deservesmore.com.

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