Mum with cancer making memories with rubber ducks

A mother with stage four breast cancer has started a project to send pink rubber ducks across the world to keep her "memory alive".

Bex Hainsworth, 36, from Holmfirth in West Yorkshire, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 and underwent a mastectomy, as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

In 2019, she found out the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and then her lungs in 2020 and her spine, both her leg bones, liver, lungs and brain in 2022.

In a bid to provide a positive legacy for her three-year-old daughter Chloe Mae, she decided to get pink rubber ducks with pink ribbon logos - an international symbol of breast cancer awareness - to as many parts of the UK as possible.

She said: "[The project] gets us out there, it gets us to different places, it gets us making memories and it's for the future as well, for when I'm not here, to keep my memory alive."

Mrs Hainsworth bought more than 5,000 rubber ducks from an online supplier and created a Facebook group called "Cmducks" four months ago, which now has more than 400 members.

Those interested in the initiative are encouraged to contact Mrs Hainsworth to get a duck - which has a tag attached explaining her cancer story and the project - and take a photo of the location it has been left in.

So far, hundreds of ducks have made their way overseas to destinations including Australia, India, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

"We would have never dreamt it would get this big - they're absolutely everywhere," Mrs Hainsworth said.

"We had a lovely post from someone who had been in the British Army who took pictures of him with a duck next to tanks.

"These are perfect strangers who are just willing to take ducks on adventures to make us smile - it's just heartwarming and we're hopefully spreading a little joy as well."

She said her daughter "absolutely loves" being part of the project.

"We love leaving them in places and taking pictures of them and we love when we see little ones holding the ducks and smile when they're finding them," she said.

"We add tags to all the ducks and we laminate them with our little story and she connects all the tags to the little duckies.

"We've got a big ducky board of the UK map so we've added ducky pins to where they've all turned up."

Mrs Hainsworth's husband Ashley, 37, said the ducks had also helped to provide comfort to those who have cancer or know someone who does.

"There was a child with brain cancer that found this and another couple who were losing their father to stage four cancer, so many have found solace through this," Mr Hainsworth said.

The family have also donated to various charities through the initiative - including the Candlelighters Trust, which provides practical and emotional support to children fighting cancer in Yorkshire.

Mr Hainsworth added: "I'm happy to put my hand in my pocket and make some donations as it gives some tangible benefit for people's time for what they're doing."

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