Abigail Goswell Legacy

Having recently received a significant donation in memory of Abigail Goswell, we asked her sister Emma to tell us about the decision to make the donation.

In October 2020 my beautiful ‘little’ sister Abigail passed away from secondary breast cancer aged just 47. She was the glue that held our family together. She was the most kind and generous person I’ve ever known and how she faced the end with such bravery, positivity and wisdom, I will never know.  It’s still so hard to believe she’s really gone. 

In her lasts few years she was increasingly frustrated about how little money and effort went to researching secondary cancers in particular. She discovered Make 2nds Count and told us all about the brilliant work they do – not just in research but also in supporting those with secondary cancer and in campaigning and educating people. She even wrote a guest blog for their website about receiving treatment during Covid. (Her own brilliant, insightful, thoughtful and sometimes funny blog is well worth a read too: https://abigailblah.wordpress.com/) 

Abigail tasked me with deciding which charities to give money to in her memory. It was a no brainer that Make 2nds Count was the first charity to benefit from the money Abigail left. My parents and I and her ‘best girls’ are so pleased that her money will be spent in three ways – funding research, helping to pay for a trial nurse advocate and buying chemotherapy comfort boxes. I know these boxes will really lift peoples spirits and I know it’s something she would have loved and would wholeheartedly approve of. She was a big fan of a pamper and a serious hoarder of potions and lotions and all things that smell nice!

We will miss her for the rest of our days but we feel some comfort knowing that her money is going to such a good cause. And if you’re still reading this – she wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t end with her mantra….. “Feel your boobs and bits!”.

On behalf of all of us here at Make 2nds Count, I would like to thank Abigail’s family for this generous donation. It is extremely humbling to know how much support Abigail gained from her relationship with us and we were very grateful for the time that Abigail spent supporting our work The donation will allow us to continue to give hope to patients living with secondary breast cancer and I hope that everyone takes note of Abigail’s mantra!

Lisa Fleming

Founder