ABC Jersey and Pink Ladies Guernsey are joining forces to encourage regular breast checking this Pink October.
ABC Jersey is becoming the official Jersey charity partner of My Breast Friend, a free app created by Guernsey breast cancer survivor Gemma Ainger (pictured) following her diagnosis at 42.
The app sends monthly reminders, allows users to log checks and provides information about changes to look and feel for. Pink Ladies Guernsey has supported its development and committed to longer-term support to help keep it free.
Gemma developed the app after being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, which had spread to her lymph nodes. She had felt healthy, had no family history of breast cancer and had not been checking regularly.
Gemma said: “I can’t change what happened to me, but I can try to use that experience to help somebody else. I want people to have what I now think of as a superpower – knowing your own normal and being able to recognise when something changes.”
Survey data from existing app users found that 69% knew they should check monthly, but only 19% were doing so. More than half cited forgetting as the main reason. After using the app, 91% reported checking more often.
When the partnership was developed, My Breast Friend had 5,760 registered users, with approximately 11% based in Guernsey and 1% in Jersey.
Throughout October, the app will feature in ABC Jersey’s Touch. Look. Check. campaign and its island-wide Pink Window Parade. Posters will include QR codes directing people to checking information and the app download.
My Breast Friend is available free for iPhone and Android. It is an educational and self-care tool and does not replace professional medical advice. Anyone noticing a new or unusual change should seek advice from a healthcare professional.
Gary Bellot, Chairman of ABC Jersey, said: “Our Touch. Look. Check. message has always been about encouraging people to know their bodies and act when something changes. My Breast Friend gives people a practical tool to turn that message into a regular habit.
“We’re also particularly pleased to be working alongside Pink Ladies in Guernsey. Our Islands share many of the same challenges and there is enormous value in charities working together, sharing good ideas and increasing our collective impact rather than always working independently.
“This October, we’d love to see Jersey close that gap with Guernsey. Download the app, set your reminder and encourage somebody you care about to do the same.”
