Charity ball to be held in memory of Northampton mum who died of breast cancer during lockdown

A charity ball is to be held in Northampton in memory of a beloved mother who passed away from breast cancer in June 2020, raising funds for two charities that made her remaining time a bit more comfortable.

'Vicki's Ball' is being organised by her daughter Molly Kate and will be held at The Park Inn, Northampton in mid April.

Molly described her mother, who was 53 when she died, as her 'best friend' and said the two would talk multiple times a day, even though Molly had moved away to Wales not long before having her son.

In discussing her mother's closing days, Molly said: "Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer about 18 months before she passed. That wasn't during Covid-19, but then the pandemic hit and that made things more difficult.

"She eventually had to be taken to John Radcliffe's neurology department in Oxford because the cancer had spread to her brain.

"The staff there were amazing and managed to treat it. She was recovering really well from that. But later they found it on her liver and it had metastasized.

"I saw her not too long before she passed. But then it was a national lockdown so we weren't able to travel.

"She got very poorly not long after that and it came rather quickly. She and Dad had even bought a campervan because they were so looking forward to going travelling.

"Instead, she died on her own because we weren't allowed to visit her during the lockdown.

"It was awful because she had to be alone. Were it any other time we would have stayed with her for days, if not weeks. Sadly we weren't able to do that."

In memory of their mum, Molly and her family asked for donations instead of flowers at the funeral, raising £3,350 for the Oxford hospital that had treated her.

Now, with restrictions mostly eased, the family hopes to raise further funds for two of the charities that helped make the mother of three's remaining time a bit more comfortable.

Those are The Lewis Foundation, which gave her a gift basket while in hospital, and Breast Friends Northamptonshire, which supports women with breast cancer, including education on screenings and other ways to check for the disease.

Molly said: "I'm hoping to raise a good amount of money for both of them, as it will be split evenly.

"Cancer has affected everyone in one way or another. Either we know someone who's had it or someone who has died from it. My mum has died of cancer and that is horrible. But she was not the first and she will not be the last to have to go through that.

"It just means a lot to be able to give back so they can continue their fantastic work. When mum received one of those packages from the Lewis Foundation, it just made her day. It didn't take the cancer away, but it made it more bearable for her."

"The ball isn't a cheap night out, but we have a range of entertainment booked from a live band and a DJ to a two-course meal and a raffle. So I hope people will come along with some friends for a good night out and raise money a good cause."

'Vicki's Ball' will take place on April 16 at The Park Inn with more than 100 tickets already sold at £55 each. The organisers are hoping at least 200 will attend.

Anyone who is interested can go to the event's page online.