A brave group of breast cancer victims stripped off and bared all for a naked calendar after being inspired to give back to a hospital.
The Breast Friends calendar featured a group of women who received treatment from the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre. Organiser Sally Smart and her friends shot a series of photos for the calendar at her home.
Those who took part in the shoot say they "enjoyed it" and were loving how "confident" they felt afterwards. Some more nerve-wracking photos were also taken out in the open.
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Organiser Sally Smart said: "Most ladies were petrified as we all have some scars, and many of us have one or no breasts following surgery. Not one of the ladies taking part had ever thought they would be able to expose their bodies in a group setting but they thrived on it.
"Most contacted me after the first shoot to tell me how much they enjoyed it and how much more confident they felt in their own skin. They have all had the diagnosis of breast cancer, and following surgery and treatment some of us feel very self conscious so that in its own right was so rewarding for me."
Patients were seen in various states of undress in the calendar, which spans a number of pictures which the group hopes to bring attention to charitable causes. Golf clubs and classic cars were all part of the revealing calendar photo shoot.
Sally, 53, said: โSome were shot in my home and on our land but we also used a hairdressers, a golf course, and a beach. These areas came with their own challenges due to the public.
"We set up the shots and props while the ladies wear dressing gowns, they then throw the gowns and I get a few shots. It all happens so quickly. The challenge was to find enough props to hide them all."
Sally had received her own horror diagnosis back in January, with 12 rounds of chemotherapy and 18 rounds of immunotherapy following. She added: "I wanted to give back to the unit that looked after me. I met a bunch of incredible ladies on my journey and asked if they were interested.
"There was very little hesitation from them and within a week we had almost 20 ladies wanting to be involved. In the beginning there was lots of prosecco involved but, despite the nerves, they grew to truly love it."
The youngest of the group was just 29 while the oldest member was in their 60s, with various diagnoses between the women reported. They teamed together to bring out a calendar which will be used as a fundraiser for charitable causes.
โWe have some fantastic local sponsors and we sold dates on the calendar which went better than predicted,โ said Sally. A launch for the calendar is set for next week, and has so far made ยฃ7,000 of its ยฃ10,000 goal.
Calendars can be purchased for ยฃ10 plus ยฃ3 for shipping and are available by emailing [email protected]. All proceeds go to North Wales Caner Appeal.
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