The week running up to the big event, Sarah and Josh’s wedding at Crewe Hall didn’t go to plan, as Sarah’s health had deteriorated and she was admitted to hospital with all the complexities that occur with this dreadful disease.
Sarah and Josh decided to bring their wedding forward again and on the 22nd August 2013 at Leighton Hospital, Crewe, they had a very emotional and poignant wedding ceremony attended by their immediate family.
It wasn’t the wedding they had intended but Sarah and Josh had achieved their dream of getting married and they were both so happy. Sadly Sarah’s health deteriorated the next day and Sarah passed away on 23 August 2013.
Sarah died from Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), her death and the grief that we all had for this wonderful young woman had to have a positive outcome…
Because during her diagnosis and all her treatment Sarah’s continued aim was to raise as much money as possible for the organisations who had supported her during her illness i.e MacMillan and St Lukes (Cheshire) Hospice. She took part in the St Lukes midnight walk, arranged table top sale, raffles and put on a music event known as “Winnies Wondergig”.
Sarah’s Wish To Establish A Charity
Sarah’s wish had been that a charity be established to help raise funds for the research into TNBC. After careful consideration we came up with our name The Shine Bright Foundation. The S.B being Sarah’s initials and Shine Bright because it epitomised Sarah and her outlook on life.
Shine Bright carries on Sarah’s name and we will continue fundraising in memory of this inspirational woman’s boundless fun and energy and her endless smiles.
We, Sarah’s family and friends had to think of what direction we should take Shine Bright Foundation in… Of course, the most obvious route is to raise money for the research and treatment of TNBC and in this regard we will be providing funds to Dr Sacha Howell at THE CHRISTIE research department in Manchester. However we also want to do something on a more personal level in the local community for people suffering from breast cancer.
We quickly recognised that when Sarah wanted any therapies such as Hydrotherapy or massage in the form of Reiki she had to travel to St Luke’s Hospice in Winsford. Luckily, Sarah could drive, and was also lucky enough to have supportive family and friends around her who could take her for treatments.
Many people do not have the means to get to the hospice for reiki and holistic treatments and miss out. Our aim is not to provide a mirror image of the fantastic work that MacMillan and St Lukes do, but to offer people unable to attend the St Lukes facility, the opportunity to receive Reiki treatments, support anyone who would like to be taught reiki by way of a self help programme, provide meditation and beauty treatments and that all important “me time” for people living with cancer and their families.
In this respect we have close ties with Simon and Katie Bailey of the Navitas Centre in Shavington who provide a range of holistic treatments.
Sarah’s head shave video outside Christie’s
https://www.facebook.com/ShineBrightFoundationSBF/videos/1135145619834717