October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when people all over the world show their support for those affected. There are around 55,900 new breast cancer cases in the UK every year, with women over the age of 50 affected the most. It’s the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for 15% of all new cancer cases. Men can also get breast cancer, but it is much rarer.
John had been a self-employed electrician for 10 years and living in Scotland. His partner Kate had been undergoing treatment for breast cancer for the previous two years and was now in recovery. As part of her treatment regimen, Kate had gone through a gruelling course of chemotherapy, and this had negatively affected her energy levels. Due to the long-term side effects of her treatment, she often had days where she was entirely bed bound.
John and Kate had two young children, but Kate struggled to look after them during times when she was on her own and John was away from the house working. As a result, John felt compelled to make the decision to stop working. His reasoning was that not working would give him the ability to stay at home and support the family in whatever way they needed.
Since John had stopped working, Universal Credit had become the family’s main source of income. However, it didn’t cover all their household outgoings. John reckoned he was ‘a few hundred’ behind on the rent payments and he was also struggling to pay back a loan. The family were struggling financially. The EIC stepped in to help John and his family with a financial contribution. This was to ensure they’d all be able to remain in their rented family home while Kate recovered and John wasn’t working.
The thinking today is that breast cancer is likely caused by a combination of genes, environment and lifestyle. While one in every seven women in the UK will go on to develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime, the survival rate beyond ten years is now at 76%. As a society, we need to get this higher.
Currently, John is hoping he will be able to complete the 18th Edition wiring regulations and get back to work as a self-employed electrician. Self-employment would give him the flexibility his family needs and enable him to begin financially supporting his family once again.
The help John was able to access is due to the support of the EIC and the powerLottery. It means his family got the financial support they needed to get on top of their bills and remain in their rented home. Without powerLottery, the EIC would not be able to offer support to people like John and his family. That’s why we need you to become a powerLottery player to help EIC to continue supporting our industry members.
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