Catherine Seddon: Mum was the kindest, most loving, and most inspirational woman

Catherine Seddon, 22, from Wigan, devastatingly lost her mum, Barbara, to breast cancer in June 2024. Catherine has since vowed to do all she can to prevent breast cancer for future generations and to break the cycle of devastation that breast cancer causes.

We spoke to Catherine to find out about her mum and why she chose to raise money for Prevent Breast Cancer.

Mum was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 after finding a lump in her breast. She was treated with chemotherapy and had a mastectomy. Then in 2017, she was diagnosed with a breast cancer recurrence after having pain in her armpit from the cancer forming in her lymph nodes and pressing on a nerve. She was treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Crushingly, in 2023 (on my 21st birthday) she was told that she had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer that had spread to her lung and liver. She was told that this was incurable and started palliative care consisting of hormone injections and tablets, chemotherapy tablets, and two lots of different intravenous chemotherapy treatments.

Catherine continued:

As you can imagine, finding out your mum has terminal cancer on your 21st birthday was the most distressing day of our lives. She was the heart of our family and cared so much for me, my brother, and my nephew Thomas. Cancer truly wipes away the joy in everyone’s lives.

After a horrendous battle, my mum passed away at our home on 28th June 2024. There were no beds at the local hospice, so we were left to look after our mum ourselves. I felt like a full-time carer alongside having to work from home with my full-time job.

We asked Catherine what she would want others to know about Barbara:

Our mum was the kindest, most loving, and most inspirational woman. She repeatedly showed us all what true strength and courage was, and we will indefinitely continue to make her proud in all ways possible.

The past months have been the worst and hardest time of all of our lives mentally, physically, and emotionally, and our mum was taken away from us way too soon at the age of 58.

My mum never smoked in her life, had a clean diet, and regularly was out of the house in the fresh air. Cancer can affect the healthiest of people, so we must do our bit to prevent it.

Barbara joined a support group led by nurse, Kate Tomkinson, who works closely with Prevent Breast Cancer, and this is why Catherine chose to fundraise for the charity:

When my mum found out her cancer was incurable, she got referred to a local support group, which she found incredibly comforting, and made some truly wonderful friends.

After mum was first diagnosed, we formed ‘Team Barb’ and have since raised over £6000 to help treat, diagnose, and prevent cancer.

We want to help other families from suffering the trauma and heartache that we have gone through

Thankfully, Catherine has been supported throughout:

We have a big family and have had constant support. My mum’s oncology consultant also regularly checked in on my welfare and mental health, which I am truly grateful for, showing that to her my mum wasn’t just a number, she was a person.

Cancer doesn’t care about happiness, but love is the best medicine, and it doesn’t cost anything. Cherish every moment with your loved ones and make some incredible memories.

We need to do everything we can to prevent breast cancer for the sake of not only our future, but our children’s futures and other generations to come.

Life is already too short, and we shouldn’t have to go through life worrying about cancer.

Thanks so much to Catherine for sharing her moving experience with Prevent Breast Cancer and for fundraising for a future free from breast cancer.

If you too would like to help us break the devastation caused by breast cancer, please consider a donation today.

Thank you for making a difference.