Bolton mum on bestselling book If I Could Tell Her cancer journey

Before being diagnosed the first time in 2022, Stacey Withington, who lives in Deane, had not long given birth to daughter Sophia via C-Section in June, all whilst completing her Master’s degree in positive psychology.

When Stacey was diagnosed the first time around, the breast cancer was in both her breasts, but this time the cancer has returned to her right breast in a different area.

She has been diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which means that the cancer cells don't have estrogen or progesterone receptors, and also do not make any or produce too much of the protein called HER2. 

Read some of our top stories below:

• Railway Inn and Hotel in Moses Gate announces closure
• Radio 2 in the Park will be 'down the road' from Bolton
• Landlord of The White Horse Harwood addresses rumours

It is considered more aggressive than other breast cancers and spreads more quickly.

Stacey said: “I’m close to the halfway mark for chemotherapy which is due to end in July.

“I’ve recently had an MRI that has shown the tumour has shrunk a little which is good news, it means the chemotherapy is working.

“Keeping focus on how I want my future to look is what gives me strength to keep going.”

Stacey collaborated on the book "If I Could Tell Her", with six other women, curated by Louisa Herridge, and as authors they hit number one in five categories over the same weekend it was launched, and they are on Sunday Times Bestseller list too.

The book features seven women sharing stories of courage, inspiration, strength, and growth, to offer hope and give advice to their younger selves.

Stacey added: "The aim behind it is not to change the past, but to grow from it and inspire others to apply that mentality to their own stories too." Stacey being as brave as she can during treatment (Image: Public)When Stacey began writing her chapter in the book, she received her second diagnosis of TNBC, but she was "determined" to continue writing throughout her treatment.

She added: "I shared my story of how personal trauma and adversity doesn't have to keep you down and how to use it as a position of power in order to transform and strengthen yourself from it instead." 

Stacey says that it’s a ‘huge achievement’ for her and she could not be prouder.

And despite the emotional and physical challenges she has faced, Stacey says that ‘everything she is doing right now’ is what she would be doing either way, and she says that cancer ‘will not stop her’.

She added: “It’s about building myself and who I want to become, so the way I see it, I’m just finding the strength to continue being me.”

Stacey's showing off her scars after breast cancer treatment (Image: Public)During her chemotherapy Stacey also completed a healing course and won an award for Woman of the Year 2024 at Bolton’s Women in Business Awards last week.

A custom-created video was also played to the entire room during the awards ceremony, which Stacey says she will “never forget”.

She said: “It was so emotional yet uplifting.

“It just showed me that we are all inspiring someone, somewhere even when we’re not aware of it.”

Her new book collaboration is available on Amazon.

If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.