Fighting to be Heard Book

All of the purchase value is transferred to Fighting to be Heard the charity.

Fighting to Be Heard is more than a book it is a movement, a legacy, and a tribute to courage. Since launching on The Real Housewives of Cheshire in March 2023, the charity has distributed over £130,000 in grants and supported hundreds across the UK a testament to the power of community and change.

It began with one powerful photograph of twenty women united in strength. That image sparked an extraordinary journey. From that moment, Lisa Fleming and Kathryn Gordon Orr drove an awareness campaign #FightingToBeHeard for those who refused to be silenced. A campaign for everyone made to feel written off, when all they long for is another day with their loved ones, another treatment to keep the cancer at bay, fair access to drugs, and the right to be treated equally. What began as a rallying cry became a national movement. Kathryn, Kate Rackham and Gill Corry registered a charity in just eight weeks proof that determination and compassion can change lives.

Inside the Book

• Powerful stories from the people in the original image and those who later joined the movement
• Kathryn Gordon Orr shares the highs, the heartbreak of losing women from the image within a year, and the fight to keep moving forward during  2024, when she lost her two co-founders within six weeks and then baby Kate Enell
• Random moments from meeting Sir Paul McCartney the night before the shoot to being live on a road trip with Alison Hammond
• The National Billboard Campaign, media coverage, and the charity’s launch on The Real Housewives of Cheshire
• Photography by world-renowned Sane Seven
• Tributes to co-founders Gill Corry and Kate Rackham  whose legacy continues to inspire

The Spirit of Sal

Sally’s story first reached the nation on Lorraine Kelly’s ITV morning show through the life-saving Change + Check campaign. She was the first person to find her lump through the initiative, sparking a national conversation that has since saved countless lives.

The Legacy of Kate Rackham

Kate Rackham, a founding force behind Fighting to Be Heard, was a teacher, campaigner, and advocate for change. Known as @TeacherWithCancer on X (formerly Twitter), she shared her story with honesty, humour, and humanity capturing hearts worldwide. Her final tweet a message of hope and truth reached 1.82 billion people, becoming one of the most shared posts in breast-cancer-awareness history. Kate’s voice still echoes through this book, proving that one message can ignite a movement.

Why It Matters

There are around 63,000 people living with secondary breast cancer in the UK today. Fighting to Be Heard is not a book about illness it’s about identity, courage, and hope. It challenges stigma, celebrates resilience, and ensures the voices of women and men with secondary breast cancer will never fade.

96.7% of people with incurable secondary breast cancer are financially affected by their diagnosis. As co-founder Kate Rackham said, “It’s hard enough worrying about dying without worrying about living as well.” Her words capture the urgency behind this book and the charity’s mission: to provide real support for those facing the impossible.

Your Purchase Makes a Difference

Proceeds from every copy fund counselling and emotional support, giving young people and family members their chance to be heard during their loved one’s cancer journey and after loss closing a vital gap in care while funding the future work of the charity and continuing its legacy.  

"As I clicked the shutter on 'Fighting to be Heard,' I couldn't help but feel the weight of what these 20 women represented… #fightingtobeheard is more than just a campaign. It's a reminder that these women are living, breathing stories of resilience, with a chance for change." - Sane Seven.

Within a year, the profound impact of the campaign image unfolded before our eyes. As the statistics unravelled, we tragically lost five of the twenty remarkable women captured in the poignant photograph. 

This heart-wrenching reality only deepened the significance of the image, transforming it into a symbol of resilience and determination in the face of adversity.