Whangārei grandmother who survived breast cancer twice urges Northlanders to host Pink Ribbon Breakfast

Whangārei grandmother Barbara Green, with granddaughter Zoe, has twice survived breast cancer and is urging Northlanders to host a Pink Ribbon Breakfast next month

A Whangārei grandmother who has twice survived breast cancer is urging people to host a Pink Ribbon Breakfast next month to help raise funds for, and awareness of, the cancer, which kills around 25 Northland women every year.

Barbara Green, aged 60, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, coincidentally, after she discovered a lump on the morning she'd attended a Pink Ribbon Breakfast. It resulted in a partial mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy.

Then last August, Green learnt the tumour had returned and she needed further surgery to remove it.

She considers herself lucky that both cancers were found early so they could be easily treated.

Now Green is hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast to raise vital funds for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ and awareness about the importance of early detection.

"I'd made it more than 10 years after my initial diagnosis and thought I'd beaten breast cancer, so it was a total shock to find out it had returned after being well for so long. The first time around I remember thinking breast cancer wouldn't kill me. I had four children, the youngest being 12 at the time, and I wasn't going to entertain that thought. I couldn't help but think differently the second time around," Green said.

"I'm really thankful for the funding I've had from Breast Cancer Foundation NZ for counselling and physiotherapy, as well as the phone calls from the nurses giving me reassurance and advice. I thought hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast was a good chance to give back for the wonderful support I've had, and I really enjoy any excuse for a gathering.

"It will also be a good way to remind the women in my life to be vigilant because breast cancer can happen to anyone and it's not just lumps we need to look out for. Have regular mammograms, and if you notice anything unusual – whether that be itchiness, puckering or skin blemishes – go and get it checked out, because the earlier it's found, the better chance you have of successful treatment."

Around 170 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the Northland DHB area every year, and around 25 will die from it.

Pink Ribbon Breakfast is Breast Cancer Foundation NZ's biggest fundraising campaign, where each year, thousands of Kiwis get together to do good in their communities. The money raised funds breast cancer education, innovative research, and support for patients and their families as they navigate through their breast cancer journeys.

"No matter how small or large, every Pink Ribbon Breakfast helps us to be there for Kiwi families facing breast cancer and prevent more women dying from this disease. So please, get involved in whatever way you can – your efforts will make a real difference,"
Evangelia Henderson, chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, said.

For more information and to register to host a Pink Ribbon Breakfast, visit pinkribbonbreakfast.co.nz.