"After cancer, carrying the Baton for Yorkshire was our way of doing something positive, both for ourselves and others." – Karen and Jade's experience content
Auntie and niece Karen Cretton and Jade Brabiner from Yeadon love spending time with each other. Whether meeting for coffee, heading out on shopping trips, or spending time with Jade’s daughters, their bond has always been strong.
When 34-year-old Jade was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer in February 2026, spending time together became even more important.
This May, they decided to lace up their walking boots and support life-saving cancer research in Yorkshire by getting involved in the Yorkshire Cancer Research We Walk for Yorkshire fundraising campaign.
Fondly naming themselves “The Blister Sisters”, the pair, supported by friends and family, have raised an incredible £3,400 to help fund vital research to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer in the region.
In October 2025, Jade’s life took an unexpected turn after she found two lumps in her breast. After a scan and a series of tests, she was referred for an operation to remove the lumps to determine whether they were cancerous.
Jade: “The operation went well, and I left feeling positive as the professionals I saw didn’t seem too concerned. However, I was then invited to attend a face-to-face appointment to discuss my results and I panicked. They confirmed what we had been fearing.”
Jade was told she had a malignant phyllodes tumour, a rare and fast-growing form of breast cancer. She was referred for surgery to remove more tissue from the same area in her breast to reduce the risk of cancerous cells growing and the tumour coming back.
Jade said: “As a mum, I’ve been trying to do the best for my two girls and keep life normal for them, as they don’t need the worry of my cancer on their shoulders. But there have been moments where I haven’t felt brave.
“While necessary, some procedures have been painful, and I’ve struggled with balancing the anxiety over the right treatment decisions for me. I was worried about the operation changing the shape of my breast and whether I would need radiotherapy treatment.
Quote from Jade Brabiner
My Auntie Karen has been a massive support throughout it all. From when I was first checking my symptoms with the GP to attending every single hospital appointment, she’s rearranged everything to be there to hold my hand. I couldn’t have done it without her.”
Karen added: “Jade has been incredible. It would be a disservice if I didn’t stay by her side.”
Seeing Jade go through the challenges of breast cancer treatment has been difficult for Karen, but her weekly volunteering at the Yorkshire Cancer Research shop in Yeadon has provided comfort and support. Karen was one of the first people to join the volunteer team at her local Yorkshire Cancer Research shop in Yeadon when it opened in March 2024.
Karen said: “Volunteering on a Thursday afternoon is the best – we all have a chit chat and a giggle together. I initially only planned to take one year off work, but when I started volunteering with Yorkshire Cancer Research, I never looked back.”
Along with developing skills like welcoming customers, pricing products and creating displays that draw customers in, Karen has especially enjoyed connecting with members of the community.
Quote from Karen Cretton
It’s lovely getting to know the familiar faces who come in each week. The shop is a space for people affected by cancer to talk and share their experiences with others, all while helping to raise funds for research that benefits people in Yorkshire. Volunteering has given me a safe space to talk about how Jade’s cancer experience has impacted her and us as a family. Plus it’s lovely Jade pops in frequently for a browse and a chat!”
Jade regularly visits the Yeadon shop to browse through its collection of high-quality, pre-loved clothing for her two daughters, Matilda and Betsy.
Jade said: “I went from seeing my Auntie Karen two or three times a year to as much as possible now we both live in Yeadon, so it’s lovely I can now pop into the Yorkshire Cancer Research shop to have a chat with her. We love to donate items we know can be given a second lease of life, and then end up buying just as much as we came in with!”
Quote from Karen Cretton
When I learnt more how Yorkshire Cancer Research has helped advance treatments for people with breast cancer in Yorkshire, I was amazed. Since Jade was diagnosed with breast cancer, it’s made the impact of what we do as volunteers much more real.”
Thankfully, Jade was given the all-clear at the end of April 2026, just before she and Karen started their Yorkshire Cancer Research We Walk for Yorkshire fundraising challenge in May.
Karen said: “Yorkshire is such a lovely place to walk. In and around Leeds especially, you can enjoy the best of both worlds by exploring the city centre and the countryside. The wonderful views, the friendly faces; you just can’t beat it.”
In addition to raising vital funds, the pair helped raise awareness of the 35,000 people in Yorkshire diagnosed with cancer each year by taking part in the charity’s landmark Baton for Yorkshire relay. The month-long Yorkshire-wide relay saw people with cancer, charity supporters and researchers pass the baton from person to person through 35 iconic locations in Yorkshire.
Karen and Jade carried the Baton for Yorkshire in Yeadon, visiting the school attended by Jade’s daughters, before heading to Leeds on the charity’s 101st birthday. There, they walked from The Queens Hotel – where Yorkshire Cancer Research held its first public fundraising appeal in 1926 – to the BBC Look North studio, where they were filmed passing the baton to the next baton-bearer during a televised interview on the relay.
Karen said: “It’s been amazing and such a privilege to take part in the Yorkshire Cancer Research relay. Both days where we carried the Baton for Yorkshire were filled with happy memories walking alongside our friends and family, all while helping to fund research that saves lives.”
Quote from Jade Brabiner
The work Yorkshire Cancer Research does is amazing and it changes people’s lives, including my own. After cancer, the Baton for Yorkshire was our way of doing something positive, both for ourselves and others.”
The Baton for Yorkshire relay may have come to an end, but life-saving cancer research in Yorkshire continues.
