THERE are not many people who when faced with cancer, manage to smile through the tears.

But Liz Day, of Broadway, did just that.

“We all laughed even though we were crying,” she said of her diagnosis with potential breast cancer following a three yearly mammogram.

Now in remission, the 60-yearold has been working hard to give back to the surgeon she says made her feel important on a tough journey and has raised £5,500 for the Worcestershire Breast Unit in Worcester.

“I had two patches of pre-cancerous calcium cells in my right breast, one large intermediate patch and one small slow-growing patch,” Mrs Day, of Leamington Road explained.

“This was detected from my three-yearly mammogram. This could only be detected in the lab as you cannot see it or feel it.

“I was extremely lucky that it was detected so early and Steven Thrush, my surgeon at Worcester, acted so quickly otherwise these patches would, in his opinion, have become a tumour and spread to the rest of my body and my life would have been cut short.

“Mr Thrush carried out three operations in one, I had a mastectomy of my right breast and the Latissimus Dorsi muscle from my upper back moved to create a new right breast and the left breast reduced. I was in surgery for eight hours.

“Throughout, Mr Thrush, as well as the Breast Care Nurses at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Barn Close Surgery in Broadway have treated me wonderfully.

It has been a tough journey but they have always made me feel as if I am the most important patient, they have always been good to me and I am still here.”

After receiving the all clear Mrs Day began fundraising to give something back to the unit.

The horse and sponsorship secretary of the Moreton Agricultural Show said: “I had a frog race night at Willersey Village Hall, a race night at the Lifford Hall, Broadway and my daughter Marianne is having a fitness camp in Upton Snodsbury before Christmas.

“We will then have raised £5,500 towards a much needed piece of machinery for the Worcestershire Breast Unit.”

For more information about the Breast Unit, visit everybody knowssomebody.co.uk.