A BRAVE mum battling breast cancer is to launch a campaign calling for the age women are screened for the illness to be reduced.

Ann Jones, 43, was diagnosed with breast cancer in December last year after visiting her doctor when she found a lump.

Now her cricket loving sons Dale and Kyle are organising a sponsored cricket match to raise money for Breast Cancer Care.

And, as well as fundraising, the family plan to use the event to raise awareness of the illness and their belief that younger women should be screened for breast cancer.

Ann has also been in touch with Cancer Research and they have agreed to help
her with her campaign.

“You don’t get offered screening until 50,” said Ann, from Gwersyllt.

“I have found while having treatment there are a lot of women under the age of 50 with breast cancer.

“Even talking to people who aren’t breast cancer sufferers, I’ve asked them if they had to pay to be scanned would they, and they said yes.”

As well as offering screening to younger women, Ann also believes it should be done more often.

“Scanning is three years apart, you can die from cancer within six weeks,” she said.

“Cancer Research is going to put me in touch with people I can work with, whether it’s by talking at events or through fundraising.”

Despite undergoing chemotherapy treatment Ann, who is married to Chris, has carried on working as a quality and technical manager in Whitchurch, but said the cancer has been hard on all the family.

“It was totally out of the blue,” she said.

“I’m still going through the realms of just bawling. It’s really hard, it plays with your head so much.

“I knew the implications it would have on the family,” she said.

“They’ve been really good, it is hard for them. They read up on chemotherapy and when they looked at the side affects got panicky but when they saw how I was dealing with the chemo they were shocked.”

Dale, a student at Yale College, said: “It has been hard but we’ve stuck together.”

Ann said the chemotherapy has not been as bad as she imagined. She is due to undergo an operation at the Wrexham Maelor Hospital next month to remove the lump in her breast.

She will then undertake radiotherapy treatment at the Glan Clwyd Hospital.

Before the operation Dale, 18, and Kyle, 15, and their team members at Gwersyllt Park Cricket Club will be donning pink T-shirts for their charity match tomorrow.

“They wanted to know what they could do to help and came up with the cricket match,” said Ann.

“All the kids are taking part, I can’t help but feel touched.

“I’m proud of the boys and of the team. To have all these kids behind me is wonderful.”

After the cricket match, where Gwersyllt will be playing Heberiams in the Cheshire and District Midweek League, Dale and Kyle will be raising yet more money by having their legs waxed and holding a prize draw.

The cricket match will start at 6.30pm, weather permitting, at the Park SA, Bradley Road, Gwersyllt.To sponsor the team email Ann at ann.jones1967
@aol.com.