It has been about 14 years since Debbie Dowie, wife of former footballer Iain Dowie, found out she had breast cancer.
“I know that I was very lucky that I got an early diagnosis," she said, “When I received it, I did have a very good network. I had three friends that had breast cancer at the same time.
“Sadly one did die.”
Now she is giving back to the place that treated her, Royal Bolton Hospital, in memory of that friend, Bernie Mercer, who was the wife of Dougie Mercer, behind the firm Toughsheet.
Debbie found the charity Boot Out Breast Cancer, which has funded an ultrasound room to the hospital’s NHS Breast Unit.
It will be kitted out with £110k-worth of cutting-edge ultrasound technology.
The charity holds a number of functions, including a popular Ladies Lunch.
Breast Screening Programme Manager Hayley Roche says: "With this equipment donated to us from Boot Out Breast Cancer we’ve purchased two workstations which help us read high resolution mammograms.
"We also have this Siemens Sequioa ultrasound machine which is within excess of £75,000.
"We’ll be able to see more patients and help with the diagnostic process in breast clinics."
Ultrasounds are meant to help diagnose breast cancer as early as possible.
They use non-invasive imaging to identify suspicious masses and facilitate ultrasound-guided biopsies for further analysis.
Bernie's husband, Toughsheet CEO Dougie Mercer, famously sponsored the Bolton Wanderers Toughsheet Community Stadium in her memory as she was a lifelong supporter.
He and their daughters Fifi and Eva attended the unveiling as Bolton's mayor Andy Morgan cut the ribbon in the hospital’s Sunflower Suite.
Cllr Morgan said in a speech: "Thanks to Boot Out Breast Cancer’s generous donations, The Royal Bolton Hospital has benefited from be some state-of-the-art equipment that is making a real difference to the lives of patient’s worth over £200k.
"These machines are game changers.
"They provide clearer, more detailed providing high resolution imaging of small specimens, which clearly means more accurate diagnoses aiding immediate surgical decisions and improving better outcomes for patients.
"Early detection is crucial in the fight against breast cancer, and these machines are helping doctors catch the disease at its earliest stages."
Since it was founded in 2010, Dowie’s charity Boot Out Breast Cancer has raised over £1.6k to purchase diagnostic equipment for NHS hospitals in England and Wales.
Debbie, who used to live in Lostock, before moving to nearby Chorley, said: "It’s really nice that something positive has come out of something so sad.
"It’s just really lovely that other people will get that early diagnosis and hopefully improve and go on to live a fulfilled life."
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