We are on a mission to spread awareness to “Check Your Ducks”, a monthly reminder to check yourself for any early signs of cancer.

Ducks are available to buy for as little as £1 and can be collected from outlets in Rugby, Coventry and the surrounding areas. These serve as a reminder to “Check Your Ducks” each month, and we encourage you to take them on any journeys, days out, meals or anything you have planned to start these conversations with family and friends, children and adults.

Our “Check Your Ducks Day” is every month, on the 17th, the date of Tracie’s birthday and serves as a reminder to check yourself on this day, every month.

Tracie’s own cancer journey is detailed below, and she truly hopes her story touches your hearts as your stories and donations touch hers....

In 2013, Tracie Mills, the founder of Check Your Ducks was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and started the path of intense chemotherapy, following with a double mastectomy, all under the superb care of the Oncology and Breast Care teams based at the UHCW Hospital in Coventry, and subsequently The Maple Unit at Rugby, St.Cross. Her dream started as raising £1000 for one new chemotherapy chair for the Arden Centre in Coventry where she had been receiving treatment. Tracie wanted to give something back for the care and support she had received during such a difficult time and many friends and family jumped on board and for the past 6 years. Tracie has been spurring on the public, local businesses and anyone else who would listen, to help, support and fundraise for her charity and the kindness and generosity of our local community was second to none.

Every single £1 matters and is received gratefully and will make a difference to the future of cancer patients and their care. She will make sure of it.

We will continue to fundraise and support in any way we can to support the community of Cancer Care in Rugby and Coventry and Warwickshire.

We have next to no overheads and the support of people and local businesses in Rugby and Coventry carry us through and we are proud to say that every single penny gets donated to help patients/families dealing with Cancer.

Tracie lives on in hope that the legacy of Check Your Ducks continues for many years to come and continues to help the future of Cancer in Rugby and Coventry long after she is gone. Things are now in place for this to continue with the recruitment of an Admin Team since Tracie has become more poorly.

Nickie, Rebecca, Shell and Mand are running with it, holding the reigns and doing a wonderful job. Tracie is obviously in the loop and trying to maintain a huge input where she can. Tracie is a self admitted control freak and perfectionist but knows they will continue in her own unique style.

Cancer is a devastating disease, not only for the patient but for the family and friends involved. It turns lives upside down and changes the patient dramatically, treatment is debilitating and this can have a huge impact on the patient and all that love them.

Tracie of course has much to say and her final few words in updating this story remain mainly unchanged "I am still here fighting the good fight, days are much harder than ever before, life just keeps throwing unbearable curve balls, they knock you down, the important thing is how you get back up. Check Your Ducks has never been and will never be a ME, it has always been a WE.

I am truly grateful for every penny that is donated and will make a difference in the future of patients and their loved ones and I assure you I will go down fighting and continue with the tenacity and sheer determination that I always have. I have beautiful friends waiting for me and ready to dance with ducks in the fast lane of heaven, and I will have never given up the fight. Cancer wins eventually and at some point I know it will win with me. I will be dancing with ducks on the other side of the stars, I will dance with you one day, much love!" xx

If you have any fundraising ideas or would like to join the team of Ducklings (Male/Female or Child) we will always welcome your support, please be sure to get in touch.

Thank you so much for your continued support and pennies and pounds donated, it means the world to us and Tracie is so proud of the legacy it leaves. It all makes a difference and will make changes now and in the future to cancer patients, families, nurses etc etc.

Nickie, Tracie, Rebecca, Shell and Mand

xxxx