Asda Straiton colleague Claire champions Tickled Pink after her own close call

Asda Straiton Community Champion, Claire Smith knows from personal experience just how important it is. It's thanks to her role raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer that she got into the habit of regularly checking herself – and knew to get help when she felt a lump one day in the shower.

Claire's GP referred her to the breast cancer clinic at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh. An ultrasound scan and biopsy were both inconclusive, so she underwent surgery to have the lump removed. A few weeks later she got the good news that the lump wasn't cancerous.

Claire said:

"I think it’s important to tell people my story because it's human nature to immediately fear the worst if you find a lump. But what I had was really common, a benign lump called fibroadenoma.

"Obviously I was relieved when I heard, but I was acutely aware that I was walking out of the hospital happy, knowing other people were in there having just been given bad news."

Claire, aged 36, took up her role as a Community Champion during last year's Tickled Pink campaign. She says she's channelling her experience in support of Tickled Pink, which raises money and awareness for breast cancer charity partners Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel!

Clare added:

"I feel like it’s helped me in that I now know the practicalities and what people are going through. It’s made me a better Community Champion because I can tell people from my experience that finding a lump doesn’t necessarily mean the worst. The most important thing is to check yourself and to get medical help if you find anything. The worst thing would be to not know, or to just ignore it.

"It also makes me want to raise even more money for Tickled Pink because Breast Cancer Now was on the leaflets they gave me in the hospital, so I know how central they are to the support you get when you're being treated. I’m proud to be a part of Tickled Pink and to raise awareness. Quite simply, it’s because of Tickled Pink that I check myself and tell others to do it too."

Asda Tickled Pink has been running for 28 years and has raised over £92m for breast cancer charities. To find out more visit: https://www.asda.com/creating-change-for-better/social/tickled-pink