TWO friends, who have cancer and Motor Neurone Disease (MND), held a charity ball raising over £11,000 for Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.
Hayley Hill joined forces with her friend, Cat Hughes, to organise a charity ball raising over £22,000 for two charities – with over £11,000 being donated to Clatterbridge Cancer Charity.
38-year-old Hayley from Bromborough was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35 and had her first surgery on the first day of lockdown in March 2020.
She said: "Clatterbridge Cancer Centre made the worst time of my life that little bit more bearable with their care and compassion.
"I owe my life to them, without them I wouldn’t be here today. The staff are more than just Doctors and nurses, they are my heroes."
Three years on and still undergoing treatment for HER2 positive breast cancer, Hayley wanted to give something back to Clatterbridge by organising a charity ball at the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel in Chester.
Hayley has been having all her treatment at Clatterbridge and every four weeks she attends the centre for hormone treatment and every six months she has bone treatment.
Her friend, Cat, was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease seven months ago and so they decided to split their fundraising evenly between the Wirral MND Association and Clatterbridge Cancer Charity.
READ > Man arrested on suspicion of drug driving after woman hit by car in Neston
Hayley worked as spa manager between 2015 and 2019 at the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel.
She said: "The hotel owners and staff were brilliant, we can’t thank them enough for giving such fantastic support with our event.
"It’s such a gorgeous setting, and proved the perfect venue for a night of glamour and fundraising for two such amazing charities.
"We only started planning the ball in September, but it’s been such a success that we’re already considering doing it all again next year."
Hayley and Cat met when their children were at primary school and have grown even closer since their respective diagnoses.
Three other friends helped them in the planning and they were over the moon to have raised such a fantastic amount.
Elspeth Wilson from Clatterbridge Cancer Charity added: "We cannot thank Hayley and Cat enough for their incredible support for the charity.
"They have helped to raise an incredible amount of money, which will help to fund research, support services and innovations in care at Clatterbridge for those with cancer in our region.
"I’d like to say a massive thank you to Hayley and Cat, and can’t wait to hear what they have planned next.”
Get the pick of the Wirral headlines sent straight to your inbox – click here to sign up.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here