The Wiltshire Times will be supporting National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, with a special edition and supplement to help raise funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

On October 18, we will be telling the stories of readers who have either battled the disease or lost loved ones to it, as well as speaking to medical experts at Great Western Hospital.

We are inviting readers to send us messages, celebrating loved ones who fought and won against the disease, are still battling it, or who have lost their lives.

Try to include a picture and we will publish your messages in our October 18 edition.

Wiltshire Times editor Gary Lawrence said: “We were really pleased to be able to raise £1,000 for Breast Cancer Research last year and, more importantly, help raise awareness of the fundraising and the support available for women and their families facing this dreadful ordeal.

“It would be fantastic to beat the total from last year because – despite all of the fundraising and research going on – in the year since we produced our last special edition, scores of families have lost someone special to this cruel disease.

“We want to do our bit towards combating that and I hope our readers do too.”

Wiltshire Times initiatives will include donating 2p from every copy of the special edition and 10 per cent from supplement advertising revenue. On October 18, there will be pink doughnuts on sale in our reception in Trowbridge and a pink fundraising day for staff.

The grand total will be announced at the end of October.

There will be collection tins at retail outlets in the town, locations of which will be printed nearer the time, which will be collected at the end of October.

Lisa Wrintmore, of Stormore in Dilton Marsh, is pledging her support after being diagnosed with grade two breast cancer in March 2011, after finding a lump.

The mother-of-two underwent a lumpectomy, 18 weeks of chemotherapy and five weeks of radiotherapy before being given the all-clear that September.

She said: “I didn’t expect it to be cancer. I thought it was something older women had.

“You have to take each day as it comes. It is a waiting game. I had goals and treats between each session. It is important you still do normal things.”

Mrs Wrintmore aims to do one fundraising event a year and has completed Bath’s Race for Life and Moon Walk and modelled in a breast cancer fashion show.

She added: “If you find a lump, go and get it dealt with. There are many survival stories. Treatment has moved on and there is more understanding of the causes and effect.

“You have to think you will get through this. There is life beyond cancer.”

Send a message about a loved one for our special edition on Friday, October 18

  • email joanna.pazucha@wiltshire.newsquest.co.uk