Three women are using their experience of breast cancer to offer help, understanding and glamour to others going through it, as Adrienne Hunter reports

IT’S hard to imagine anything could make a day more memorable than giving birth to triplets.

But for North-East mum Eileen Richardson there’s one more thing that makes the day stick in the memory – because the day she had three babies is also the day she had a mastectomy, after being diagnosed with breast cancer in the 27th week of her pregnancy.

Fourteen years later, both Eileen and the triplets – Francesca, Gabriella and Nicky – are in great shape.

But Eileen’s experiences at that time have helped make her one of the three driving forces behind a heartwarming charity.

Eileen and friends Judith Wright and Sue McCoy met while undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and they have been running their Hug in a Bag charity for almost ten years. In that time, they’ve delivered bags packed with useful information and luxury treats to more than 2,000 North-East women who have gone through the same illness as them, and they are now extending the charity to County Durham.

“We had marvellous care from the NHS when we were ill, and can’t speak highly enough of their work,” says Eileen. “But when we came out of hospital, at that time you were given a brown envelope with leaflets containing important information you needed – but you really didn’t feel like opening another envelope.”

Realising they could all easily have missed out on crucial information, the women set about thinking up a way to make sure others like them not only read their leaflets, but get a little boost at one of the most difficult times in their lives.

The result was Hug in a Bag, whose patrons are singer Linda Nolan and footballer Jimmy Montgomery and whose slogan is: “Help, Understanding – and Glamour – giving an extra hug to those affected by breast cancer.”

E ACH Hug in a Bag gift is worth around £60, and includes a heart-shaped cushion made by volunteers at Kepier Quilters in Houghton-le-Spring, a soothing scented candle, a notebook to write down your thoughts and questions, a pashmina wrap and luxury toiletries, including moisturiser and eyebrow definer.

Eileen, Sue and Judith are reluctant to use their own stories to promote the charity, and hate being described as ‘survivors’ – “We’re women who have had breast cancer, that’s all,” says Judith. “When you are treated for cancer, all of your loved ones live through it with you, so we’re always careful to try not to bring back difficult memories - for our children in particular.”

Eileen’s triplets were born two weeks after her diagnosis. Judith’s daughter Emma was only seven when her mum became ill, and Sue’s children Dean and Jodi were young teenagers when she was diagnosed.

Going through treatment themselves does mean the three Hug founders have been able to choose the contents of the bags – completely paid for by donations and business sponsorship – very carefully.

“We know how dry your skin gets when you have chemotherapy, so there’s lovely body lotion in the bag, and an eyebrow shaper because your hair can disappear with the treatment,” says Sue.

“The pashmina is something glamorous to wrap around yourself in hospital or once you get home, and the cushion is to tuck under your arm post- op – the fact that it’s heart-shaped is nice, but it’s also very practical. The notebook is for you to record your thoughts and questions, which you may not even want to share with anyone but yourself.

“We called the bag a hug, because we all found that people who discover you have breast cancer often don’t know what to say, but they all give you a lovely hug. And that stays with you.”

WITH the support of County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust chairman Prof Paul Keane, Hug in a Bag is now working with breast care nurses at University Hospital North Durham, and hopes to extend to Darlington soon. There’s great excitement about the charity’s move into the county.

Durham Macmillan breast cancer nurse Louise Hunter says: “Hug in a Bag is an absolutely fabulous venture. As the nurse providing these to ladies diagnosed with breast cancer I feel really privileged to see the reactions on opening the bags, which have been so thoughtfully put together. The items included are all useful and give a real feeling that someone cares and understands.”

Eileen says Hug in a Bag has received wonderful support from fundraisers over the past ten years, and hopes County Durham people and businesses will also get involved.

The charity’s annual ball, at the Stadium of Light this Saturday, is always a big fundraiser. “We want to be able to give out as many Hugs as we can – we know they don’t provide a cure, but they’re something nice at a time you feel awful,” she adds.

Hug in a Bag also operates in Blackpool via the Royal Victoria Hospital thanks to an enthusiastic group of volunteers in that area.

Judith, Sue and Eileen work from an office in Houghton amid drifts of touching and emotional letters from local women thanking them for the bags.

“We’ve only got two ambitions for Hug, really,” says Judith.

“The first is for our charity to go national, so we can help as many people as we possibly can.”

And the second?

“That’s for us to be able to wind the charity up altogether, because nobody gets breast cancer any more. That’s our greatest wish.”