Celebrities share their breast cancer stories for charity campaign

CELEBRITIES have spoken about how breast cancer has touched their lives for a fashion campaign that will raise money to research the disease.

Singers Emeli Sande and Tallia Storm and TV presenters Gaby Roslin and Jacquie Beltrao have been photographed with motivational messages for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer initiative.

Sande, held a sign saying “Let’s get closer to the day when breast cancer stops taking lives”.

The Next To Me singer has spoken about the effect losing her friend to the disease had on her.

She said: “Since losing my friend Narcisse to breast cancer, I’ve become extremely passionate about raising awareness of the disease and helping to raise funds for research – much needed research that holds the key to a future where nobody dies of this terrible disease.”

Sky News presenter Beltrao sent out a defiant message of “you won’t win” to breast cancer. Beltrao was diagnosed with breast cancer on Christmas Eve 2013.

After undergoing a mastectomy, she began swimwear modelling. She explained how fashion helped her recovery.

She said: “Fashion can be used as such a strength, to pick you up when you’re down and give you confidence and control.”

Charity Breast Cancer Now’s annual campaign works with fashion retailers to raise funding for research into the disease, which kills nearly 1,000 women every month in the UK. Since it began in 1996 it has raised over £15 million.

This year M&S, Debenhams, River Island and Simply Be will sell a collection until mid-May. A minimum of 30% of each sale from their collections will go to Breast Cancer Now.

Former Children In Need and The Saturday Show presenter Gaby Roslin has been a long-time supporter of the charity.

Roslin said: “I’m standing together with these other incredible women today and supporting Fashion Targets Breast Cancer in memory of my beautiful friends that I have lost to this horrible and devastating disease.”

Tallia Storm has appeared alongside her mother, public relations entrepreneur Tessa Hartmann, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.

The Scottish Fashion Awards, which Hartmann founded, were not held last year while she went through surgery and chemotherapy.

Storm said: “I know first-hand how much breast cancer can rock and devastate a family.

“Fashion has the power to bring women together and make them feel strong and ready to take on the world.”

Breast Cancer Now is encouraging men and women across the UK to make their own statement on social media using the hashtag #MakeAStatement.