A PRESTON housewife, who was told she had breast cancer three days before her silver wedding anniversary, is to take part in an awareness campaign to help other victims of the disease.

Courageous Linda White, 53, of Ripon Street, Preston, had to put her marriage celebrations on the back boiler after being diagnosed with the life-threatening disease two years ago.

She discovered a lump in her breast and knew instantly something was not right. "It was nothing like the normal lumps you find in your breasts. It felt very different," Linda said.

Her mother had suffered from breast cancer in her mid-thirtes and, although she made a full recovery, later died from another form of the disease.

Tests revealed Linda's worst fears and she was admitted to Chorley and South Ribble General Hospital, in Chorley, to have the lump and lymph nodes in her breast removed. This was followed by a course of radiography at the Royal Preston Hospital, Preston, to make sure the cancer had not spread to other parts of Linda's body.

She finally left hospital in March last year and enjoyed a belated knees-up with family and friends to celebrate not only 25 years of marriage to husband Thomas, 65, but her survival from a disease that claims so many lives.

Now, animal-lover Linda, who has three dogs Meg, Thunder and Diablo, has signed up for a Wall of Hope, at Preston's St George's Shopping Centre, during Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, as a thank-you for the care she received in hospital.

Linda said: "My diagnosis of breast cancer came at the worst possible time, just as I was about to celebrate my anniversary. I became very depressed, but you have to develop a positive attitude."

Throughout next month breast cancer survivors from Preston and South Ribble will join Linda to pin photographs and messages to the wall to give hope to other women diagnosed with the disease.

It comes as The Cancer Research Campaign reveal these days 74 per cent of women are cured of breast cancer due to screening and increased awareness of the initial signs and symptoms leading to early detection. I want to spread the message to other women not to give up hope.

"You've got to fight," added Linda.

For information on breast cancer call free on 0800-328-0038, and those wishing to give a message of hope should call John Matchett on 0161-772-5577 or 07818-075735.