Narcissistic fundraising for the most fashionable cancer to have

The first thing I saw when I woke up today was this article ‘My Fashion tribute to my mother‘ about a 40 something woman who is ‘wearing a different outfit from a charity shop every day for a year, inspired by her mother’s death from breast cancer’. It made me furiously angry. Firstly I thought what a narcissistic way to fundraise! Lucky bloody woman, she gets a new outfit every day of the year and then posts selfies of herself wearing it all over the Internet. So fucking what? I wear clothes from charity shops every day of the year because I refuse to give my money to the unethical chain shops taking over our high streets. I don’t get sponsored or draw any sort of attention to it.

But more importantly it’s a prime example of what I see as the ‘sugar coating’ of a disease that kills women everyday and leaves thousands more (like myself) suffering with the debilitating symptoms. It made me angry because I see fundraising campaigns like these everyday and wonder where all these millions of pounds are going.

I don’t mean to sound insensitive about the fact she she lost someone she very much loved. I think the majority of the world’s population has some sort of experience of this devastating pain. I lost my father to cancer when I was 17 and watched my mother go through breast cancer when I was 28. I would not wish this disease on anyone and my heart goes out to all that are affected, I really do understand how she must be feeling. Her mother was 72 when she passed away. I am envious of the ripe old age she lived to and the fact that mother and daughter were fortunate enough to have many years of charity shop shopping together. Unfortunately, that is not the case for myself who at 31, have been diagnosed with the same disease and was recently given a prognosis of 6 months.

I know people might say ‘but at least she’s doing something to raise money’ and don’t get me wrong, I know that fundraising is crucial for organisations and charities to function. But with recent news reports stating that now half of UK people will get cancer and still no sign of a cure or a cause, I want to know where all this donated money is going. I was gob smacked when I learnt of the lack of treatments and drugs available for people with secondary breast cancer.

It’s all well and good to wear your second hand clothes, run your marathons and shave your heads but we need to be questioning where the money we are donating is going and how it is being used. I personally want to see less of the mainstream media’s sugar coated fundraising articles and more nitty gritty ones that publish facts, figures question where and how our money is being spent. Now I feel stronger after recent events, I know that I will be paying more attention and consciously seeking out information on the issue.

Right, I’m off now to dress myself entirely in clothes I’ve purchased from charity shops (except for my knickers, that’s one thing I agree on) and not post a selfie of it on social media, oh wait…

Gold necklace £1 and lace top £2.99 from a charity shop.

My favourite black suede and fake fur jacket £7.99 and glittery black snood £1.50 from a charity shop.

White zebra print headscarf £1.99, earrings £1 and River Island printed dress £4.99 from a charity shop.