Debby Black, senior mental health practitioner for the South Eastern Trust, discovered a lump in her breast “quite by accident” when in the shower in December 2024.
“I had a series of scans, biopsies, and ultrasounds, and I was then diagnosed with Breast Cancer.”
“Having a cancer diagnosis is traumatic, it is scary, but it has been made much gentler for me by the care that I have been given here at the Macmillan Unit in the Ulster Hospital,” said Debby.
Debby described the fundraising as a “team effort.”
“I have now completed all my cycles of my Chemotherapy treatment. I will now move into the next stage of my treatment, which will hopefully be Breast Surgery and then Radiotherapy. I am currently having Immunotherapy, which will continue until next year.”
This unexpected discovery marked the beginning of a life-changing journey for Debby. What followed was a period of uncertainty and fear, but also one filled with extraordinary care, community, and resilience.
Throughout this journey, emotional support proved as vital as medical treatment. “The support I have received has been amazing, it has been second to none here at the Ulster Hospital,” she said.
“Macmillan Health and Wellbeing Support Worker, Sally Irvine has signposted me to services that I did not even know existed. Speaking to Sally in the Support Hub has been really valuable and I have been able to open up to her about my worries, my emotional stress and about the future.”
“Whenever I was first diagnosed, I did not know what was ahead of me. You just feel the road ahead is going to be Chemotherapy and Mastectomy, but having that emotional support was just so valuable to me. Sally has such an amazing way with her, she is so very kind, a real knowledgeable lady, and everything is given with a full heart.”
Debby’s contribution stands as a testament to the profound impact of compassionate care and the strength of community in the face of adversity.
“You really have it all here at the Ulster Hospital and the Macmillan Unit. Not only do you have your clinical treatment but emotional support too.”
Grateful for the care she received, Debby and her sister Shelly McAllister decided to give back. “We decided to host a fundraising raffle, which quickly snowballed! We have so many good friends who supported us and the prizes kept getting bigger and bigger and within six weeks we had so many prizes. My friends and colleagues also sold tickets for the raffle, it really was a team effort.”
“The amount raised is my way of giving back to the Unit. I feel really privileged to have been a patient here and I feel very blessed that I have been so well looked after by so many amazing people. I could not have got here without my friends and my family these last six months.”
Sally Irvine reflected warmly: “I met Debby back in January of this year and she is one of those patients, as soon as you meet them, that you know this is a special person. Very quickly Debby and I built up a great relationship. It was a privilege to be on this journey with her and it became very obvious, very early on, that she wanted to give something back.”
“Debby started out as a patient, as a stranger, but I can say that I can count her now as my friend.”
“Debby’s donation will really enhance patient care and it is fantastic to have that donation and we are so thankful for it.”
Kate Harkin 
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