Healing Woman’s Fundraising Walk Highlights Importance of Breast Screenings

Mary Vickers, 68, living in Healing near Grimsby, is on a mission to motivate more women in North East Lincolnshire to go for regular breast cancer screenings, following her own diagnosis after an ordinary mammogram in June 2024. The number of women in Lincolnshire attending screenings is currently only 64.9%, which is considerably lower than the national average, according to NHS figures. Mary is hoping to raise awareness about the importance of these screenings and has set off on a five-day fundraising walk from Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham to Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby. It is at this hospital where Mary undertook her treatment, and she intends to raise funds to enhance the patient experience at the breast unit. Her aim is to collect a total of £1,000. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mary is hopeful that her walk will be a reminder to women, aged 50 to 71, of the life-saving potential of regular mammograms. This story was sourced as a local adaptation from an original post on www.bbc.com by The Lincoln Post.