A WOMAN who has battled breast cancer is urging more women to help break a world record and raise funds for a dedicated breast care unit in Worcester.

Ann Fraser, of St Peters, Worcester, was diagnosed with breast cancer in April, 2008. She had a mastectomy followed by six months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in Cheltenham. Along with all the treatment came the emotional effects of trying to come to terms with how she looked.

Mrs Fraser said: “I was extremely self-conscious of the way I looked and would look at myself in every mirror that I passed – it all became a bit of a joke.”

Mrs Fraser was looking for a mastectomy bra, but struggled to find one before she met Karen Tomalin, of 2nd Skin Lingerie. She said: “Breast cancer has been one of the worst and also one of the best things that has happened to me. In the past two years I have met the most amazing people and made new friends for life. “Your bra could make a difference too – so donate it to one of the many special collection boxes which are dotted around Worcestershire – now that would really make a difference. ”

Mrs Tomalin specialises in fitting and supplying bras for mastectomy patients.

After the first fitting Mrs Fraser said: “Who would have thought a bra could make that much difference. The confidence it gave me was unbelievable.”

Mrs Fraser has now joined the 2nd Skin Lingerie Bra Chain – a bra recycling campaign which is looking to collect 200,000 unwanted bras which can then be linked up to form a chain of bras and hopefully break a Guinness World Record.

The bras will then be sponsored to help raise funds for the Worcestershire Breast Unit Campaign, which aims to build a unit at 220 Newtown Road in Worcester.

To get involved in the bra recycling campaign and help raise much needed funds for the bid to build a breast unit visit 2ndskinlingerie.com