You’ve must have heard the saying “You would look good even in a bin-bag.” well here’s the proof, meet the amazing, Sue Cook. Sue was a model in our 2016 campaign and has remained part of our close-knit team.

Following a breast cancer diagnosis Sue had a double mastectomy and decided not to undergo reconstruction, instead opting to be her own walking canvas.

Sue lives in Wigan and her background is in the creative arts.  As Chief Examiner with the University of the Arts in London. has certainly used her amazing talent to promote our Bin-Walk campaign for Maggie’s.

Here is Sue’s Story

“I first became aware that there was a change in the shape of my right breast just before Christmas 2008. I had a bit of a routine which shows how crackers I am; on pay day every month(a great prompt) I always topped up my pay-as-you-go mobile phone and did a breast exam!  On this occasion it felt like there was a little piece of knotted  string below the surface of my right breast. No lump though so that’s Ok. Or so I thought. I was one of those women who didn't know about other signs to look for other than a lump. But just to be sure I made an appointment with my GP. I had to wait a few days for an appointment but the morning I was due to see the doctor my right breast had swollen and  caved in. In fact it looked like dough when you hit it with a rolling pin. And one breast had become two!! 

My GP fast tracked me to see a consultant and I received a phone call the same day telling me that I had an appointment the next afternoon. I went to the hospital and the consultant took one look at me and introduced me to a breast care nurse, who took me for a mammogram, followed by an ultrasound scan and biopsy. When I returned to the consultant’s office she didn’t use the word cancer at  that point, but indicated that she felt we were both aware what the diagnosis would be. Before I left, I was booked in for a CT scan and bone scan. I would have to wait a week for the results of my biopsy. I was in a complete daze!

I went home to tell my husband. I didn’t go back into work that day,  but instead we went out and ate cake, two in fact, each!!

My husband accompanied me for my results and I’m not sure how much either of us really took in  as we were told that it was, as the consultant had suspected, inflammatory, locally advanced breast cancer and it was very aggressive. Later I was to find out it was also  Oestrogen and HER 2 positive, and I would be invited onto the ‘Persephone’ trial. Any decision making was removed I am happy to say as the consultant explained that my only option was to start a course of Chemotherapy to try to shrink the tumours first, followed by a radical mastectomy with full clearance of my lymph nodes and then a course of radiotherapy. The whole process lasted about 10 months. I was told that my chemo cocktail would definitely result in hair loss so I decided that as I was a teacher I would invite students and stafffrom across the college to take part in a lunchtime fundraising hair cutting and head shaving event. We were actually rolling about laughing as they paid to cut chunks out of my hair  (Wurzel Gummidge came to mind) before my head was shaved.

In consultation with my surgeon and oncologist, it was decided that I would have a prophylactic mastectomy to remove my left breast and therefore reduce the risk of recurrence. I would need to wait a year to give my body time to recover. It took place in 2010.

Now as a cancer survivor I am more aware of the importance of fundraising for charities like Maggies. The support offered not only to the people affected by cancer directly, but also to their families is amazing.  And what now? It has always been my choice not to wear prostheses, it was also my choice not to have reconstruction. So after reaching my unexpected 5 year remission I began reclaiming my body  to show that cancer doesn't always  have to leave the last mark by transforming my scars into art. Now, every morning I can wake up to see a beautiful piece of body art. I am my very own walking canvas!”