At City Women’s fixture against The New Saints on Sunday, the Bluebirds will wear our pink strip in support of Breast Cancer Now’s Wear it Pink campaign.
In Wales, around 2,800 people are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. That’s around 54 people every week. Breast cancer is also the most common cancer in women in Wales, accounting for 22% of new cancer cases in women.
Football has an incredible ability to bring people together. On Sunday we want to use that power to show our support for everyone affected by breast cancer and help make a difference.
Walking out in the pink kit and showing our support is crucial, as defender Shannon Evans explained.
“It’s massive for us to be able to wear pink on Sunday and it’s something that will mean a lot to us,” Shannon began.
“Things like breast cancer can easily be forgotten about or not spoken about enough, so it’s so important that we have days like Sunday to raise awareness and have the donation link to fundraise as well.”
Sunday’s campaign also holds a special significance for Shannon, with members of her family having had first-hand experience of breast cancer and its effects.
She continued: “Seven or eight years ago, my auntie had breast cancer and she didn’t think it was anything. She went to one of those pop-up places in the supermarket thinking it would be nothing serious and it turned out that she had an aggressive form of breast cancer.
“Luckily, she’s still with us now but she went through a lot of therapy and had to have one of her breasts removed. It was either that or it could have been a lot different. We’re lucky that she’s still here and she comes to a lot of the games to watch us play, which is so nice.
“It was a difficult time but she was so positive through it all, you wouldn’t have known that she was going through it. She kept making jokes about her hair and wearing a wig; there are a few photos where we all put it on.
“She was so upbeat throughout the whole thing which was amazing. The relationship she has with my mum, who is her sister, is close. It was a terrible time for them but my auntie came through it.
“t’s nice to have this cause to keep reminding people of it, not just women but men as well. My mum’s dad also had breast cancer and he died through it, which is quite rare for men. They don’t ever think to check but it’s so important.”
Sunday’s fundraising campaign will share a number of significant messages, but the importance of getting checked cannot ever be understated.
“Checking your body is crucial,” Shannon added. “Some people may feel embarrassed about doing that but it’s important to keep spreading the message to get checked. For us as a Club, making an effort to publicise that is important to us.”