PICTURES: Breast cancer survivors celebrate life at town hall tea party

The Life After Breast Cancer tea party saw survivors fill Moot Hall at the event organised by the Friends of Essex County Hospital Breast Care Unit.

Morven Angus, the lead breast nurse, was delighted to be at the annual event which has now been running for 15 years.

She said: “We do it at this time of year because October is breast cancer awareness month which means there is so much in the press about the disease, some positive and some which are heart breaking.

“We wanted to do something which is really positive so people can get together and share that mutual support.

“Some people have been coming for years and years, while others will be visiting the event for the first time .

“The reason it is so popular and successful is because of that support.

“People here for the first time who have recently been diagnosed can see the people who were diagnosed several years ago and take real inspiration.”

Specialist breast surgeon Sankaran Chandrasekharan, known by his patients simply as Mr Chandra said staff were constantly looking at how they could give better care to women and ensure their survival.

He said: “This is an event I look forward to throughout the year.

“We want to do better for our patients and to do that our team is expanding.

“We want to offer the gold standard, best treatment and will do whatever it takes.

“It is our aim to constantly improve so more and more people faced with the diagnosis are here to tell the world breast cancer is something which happens, but can be treated.”

• WHEN Anne Bellett, 59, from Tiptree was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, and it was her second battle with serious illness She fought off Hodgkins Lymphoma more than 20 years ago and was treated for both diseases in Essex County Hospital with similar chemotherapy methods.

She put down her double recovery down to the support of her family and having strong hobbies and interests.

She said: “I had chemotherapy then and then again in 2012. It is just awful what it does to you and your family but my friends and family – I have two daughters – have been so supportive.

“The care at the breast unit is incredible.

“It has definitely taken its toll on me but I play violin in the Essex Symphony Orchestra, play sport and love to travel and it is things like that which help you overcome it. It is great for people to be able to get together.”

• USUALLY a table at the event is filled with former Marks and Spencer staff who have suffered from breast cancer.

This year, just two were able to attend including Ann Buy from West Bergholt who has battled back three times from bouts of breast cancer.

She believes an unshakeable positive attitude as her helped her bounce back time and time again.

She said: “The first time was 12 years ago, then three years ago and then again in March this year.

“The secret is just to be positive.

“You have to get on with it and make sure it doesn’t get you down.”

Her former colleague Mary Chiles, 66, who lives in Colchester’s New Town was going through a similar ordeal at the same time.

She said the support of supermarket colleagues who knew what she was going through had helped them all to cope better.

She said: “I was diagnosed in 2002, so it was roughly the same time.

“My reaction was that I just had to fight it.

“I thought ‘This is just not going to get me’ and decided I wanted to be really positive .

“Usually we have a full table from Marks and Spencer but this year only we could make it.

“It is such a brilliant day, you get to see the same faces year on year but also new people as well.”

• FOR many people the annual get together is a fantastic way to show new suffers how much can be achieved even after a diagnosis.

Christine Willetts, 64, who lives in Fordham Heath paid tribute to the event, which brought so many people together.

She said: “This is a brilliant event, it is just saying we are all still here and there is life after breast cancer. It shows it can be treated.

“There are so many people here and we all have had the same problem, and have all been through the same thing and you know how other people are feeling.

“The staff at the breast cancer unit are absolutely phenomenal.

“From the nurses all the way up to the surgeons everyone is just amazing.

“The fact you have surgeons here today, taking time out of their busy schedules is a testament to them.”

• FRIENDSHIPS can blossom at the tea party and Sandra Kelly, 74, from Lexden was making her maiden appearance at the event.

She said: “I was too unwell to come this year so this is my first time.

“It has been great to meet people I didn’t know before and we are having a great time.

“The care you get in Colchester is amazing, they must be the best breast cancer care team in the world.

“They have to be the absolute gold standard.

“People are very quick to be negative about the hospital but they really do deserve as much praise as possible. The staff are incredible.”

Sandra was sitting next to Linda Westley, 69, from West Mersea, who is coming up to the 15th anniversary of her own diagnosis.

She said: “It will be 15 years since I was told next week.

“I have to admit it was so scary but the team who were working there at the time put me completely at ease.

“I was lucky in some ways in that the only treatment I needed was the surgery and there was no need for any radiotherapy or anything like that.

“You could not ask for anything better from the staff. They are absolutely amazing.”

• THE event could not be run without a team of volunteers.

Sheila Gibbs has been raising money for the breast cancer care unit for 30 years by collecting foreign coins and holding bric-a-brac sales.

She said: “I have raised between £20,000 and £30,000.

“We used to have bric-a-brac sales in Essex County Hospital but we had to stop because of health and safety.

“I have been involved at the hospital for 39 years and started working in the x-ray department and volunteered and helped feed people after I retired.

“Both my sisters have had breast cancer and the treatment here is second to none.”