THE Swindon Advertiser will once again be supporting National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October with a special edition and supplement to help raise funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

On October 17, we will be telling the stories of our readers who have either battled the disease themselves or have lost loved ones to it, as well as speaking to medical experts at Great Western Hospital.

We are inviting our readers to send us messages celebrating loved ones who have fought and won against the disease, are still battling it, or who have lost their lives.

Try to include a picture if you can, and we will publish your messages in our October 17 edition.

Swindon Advertiser editor Gary Lawrence said: “We were really pleased to be able to raise £1,000 for Breast Cancer Research last year and, even more importantly, help raise awareness of the fundraising and the support available for women and their families facing this dreadful ordeal.

“It would be fantastic to beat the total from last year because, despite all of the fundraising and research going on, in the year since we produced our special edition scores of families have lost someone special to this cruel disease.

“We want to do our bit towards combating that and I hope our readers do too.”

There will be collection tins at retail outlets throughout the town, the locations of which will be printed in the Adver nearer the time.

Breast cancer survivor Tracey Kidman-Pepper, of Marlborough Road, is pledging her support for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The mother-of- two was diagnosed with the disease when she was 35 and will have been in remission for five years in November.

The lump in Tracey’s breast was 4cms wide when it was discovered.

Just 10 days later she underwent a mastectomy, followed by seven sessions of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and then a reconstruction.

“Everyone is scared about cancer because it has got so many unknowns to it still, even though charities and researchers are making great strides,” said the 40-year-old.

“I know there are probably a lot of women out there who don’t check themselves because they are scared. I would just urge them to look on the Breakthrough website and look at the Touch Look Check advice.

“If they are worried or concerned about anything I urge them to go to their GP and get themselves checked. They will probably be fine but you can’t just leave these things and think that they will go away.

“It is a very treatable disease now and there are great success rates if it is caught early. You can get through it. It is not easy, but you can do it.”

Tracey took to writing while she was battling cancer and now has a book, Odd Socks, available on Amazon Kindle.

She is also planning to release a book she wrote about her journey with breast cancer, called How Breast Cancer Coped With Me, later this year.

To donate to Breakthrough Breast Cancer as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month visit www.justgiving.com/ Swindon-Advertiser.

To send a message for our supplement about a loved one, email mtompkins@swindon advertiser.co.uk.