A TEACHER from Doddington who underwent surgery for breast cancer turned her birthday celebrations into a fund-raising event to thank the staff who treated her at Hinchingbrooke Hospital. Sally-Anne Barnard-Taylor, right, organised a double celebration to

A TEACHER from Doddington who underwent surgery for breast cancer turned her birthday celebrations into a fund-raising event to thank the staff who treated her at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.

Sally-Anne Barnard-Taylor, right, organised a double celebration to mark both her birthday and the end of six months of chemotherapy.

Sally-Anne's family had already been hatching plans for a surprise birthday, but the deputy headteacher of Lionel Walden School already had ideas of her own.

"I wanted to hold some sort of gathering for my family and friends to thank them for being so fantastic in supporting me over the past 11 months," she said.

"A year ago, I celebrated my 40th birthday with absolutely no idea of what was about to happen to me a couple of weeks later," she said. "I discovered a lump, went to see my doctor and was soon diagnosed with cancer. It came as an absolute shock as I had always been so fit and healthy."

The gathering was also turned into a fund-raising effort which amassed £4,152 for the Woodlands Centre at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon, which treats cancer patients.

The money raised will help pay for equipment for the administration of chemotherapy drugs, provide massage and relaxation treatments and help to offer other services to support cancer patients.

Sally-Anne is back at work but is attending Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, daily for radiotherapy before going to work.