Alocal mum who is currently recovering from breast cancer surgery is preparing to take part in this year’s Great Manchester Run.
And she’s already being hailed as absolutely “inspirational”.
32-year-old Becky Haigh from Peel Hall in Wythenshawe was sadly diagnosed with breast cancer back in November 2022 after first ignoring a lump on her breast for a number of months, but eventually heading to the doctors when her concerns grew stronger.
The single mum of two said she “knew she had to fight” after she was hit with the news of her devastating diagnosis as she had “no other option”.
“I went to the doctors with concerns about a lump I had found on my breast,” Becky explained.
“If I’m honest, I had ignored it for a few months, but after encouragement from my mum, I finally decided to get it checked out, and after my doctor’s visit, I was officially diagnosed in November 2022.
“The only words I remember hearing was ‘it’s super treatable’, and while my journey has been extremely challenging, those words gave me hope throughout the whole experience, as being 31 and a single mum of two girls, I knew I had to fight – there was no other option, my girls needed me.
“I started my first round of chemotherapy in December, exactly a month after diagnosis, and the rest of my three-times-a-week treatment continued, and I rang the bell on the 16 March 2023”.
‘Inspirational’ single mum to take part in Great Manchester Run while being treated for breast cancer / Credit: Great Run Company
After ringing the bell, Becky opted for a lumpectomy with sentinel lymph node removal followed by radiotherapy, and is currently awaiting her pathology results to see if she is officially cancer free after undergoing surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital back in April – just weeks before the race takes place on Sunday 21 May.
The brave mum is taking part in the 10k race at this year’s AJ Bell Great Manchester Run alongside her sister, Samantha, and the pair are raising funds worth funds for Manchester-based charity Prevent Breast Cancer.
Prevent Breast Cancer is the only UK charity funding groundbreaking research solely aimed at preventing breast cancer for future generations.
As Becky has worked for the NHS for the past five years now as a Complaints Manager, she says she is “well aware” of the importance of funding for cancer research, and she hopes that her participation in the event will help make a difference.
The AJ Bell Great Manchester Run 2023 is taking place this Sunday 21 May / Credit: Great Run Company
“Despite my recent surgery, I’m so excited to complete the race, especially with my sister by my side [as] my sister’s support throughout my cancer journey, including holding my hand at many appointments, has meant everything to me.
“Looking back on what I’ve been through means completing the 10k together is even more special.
“Our initial goal was to raise £200, but we have already raised over £900 – which we are absolutely over the moon with.”
Nikki Barraclough, Executive Director at Prevent Breast Cancer, has hailed Becky’s story as not only one of “resilience and positivity” but also the power of social support.
Featured Image – Prevent Breast Cancer
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Manchester United announce another big signing with Benjamin Šeško swoop
Danny Jones
Manchester United have confirmed a third big signing of the summer transfer window after seemingly swooping in to hijack a deal for Benjamin Šeško from a fellow Premier League team.
While perhaps not direct rivals, Man United look to have virtually snapped up highly sought-after Slovenian striker, Šeško, from the jaws of Newcastle, who appeared to be getting closer to sealing a deal following a second bid.
Roughly a week later, Ruben Amorim now has another attacking option to choose from, with Šeško arriving at Old Trafford on a deal worth reportedly upwards of £73.3 million.
Signing a five-year deal with the club, Šeško will earn around £160,000 a week when it comes to wages, with his contract also including potential add-ons, according to Sportklub writer Rok Viškovič.
United are said to be paying an initial fee of £66.3m, with the super-fast forward supposedly having made it clear that he preferred a move to United once he was made aware of their interest.
After the news broke of an agreement being reached, it didn’t take long for people to start tracking his equally quick turnaround flight, with the towering Bundesliga prospect – who clocks in at the same height as soon-to-be Man City rival, Erling Haaland – travelling to Manchester Airport on Thursday evening.
In fact, speaking of Haaland, a recently resurfaced quote should give fans plenty of food for thought ahead of his debut in red.
As the player with the most goals scored – 39, to be specific – of any player under 23 since he arrived in Germany in the middle of the 22/23 season, it’s no surprise that United moved quickly on the deal to bring Šeško to the English top flight.
With his medical believed to have been conducted that same night, his official unveiling as an MUFC player on Friday, 8 August, sees INEOS’ spending so far this season tip over the £200m mark, even despite having recorded their worst domestic finish in the modern era in the previous campaign.
Should the add-ons in the roughly £71m deal for Bryan Mbuemo, not to mention the approximately £62.5m and nearly £7m outlay (all possible bonuses considered) for young defender Diego Leon, materialise over the course of the next year or so, that figure is more like £215m.
They’re not messing around.
Manchester United's new front three in all competitions last season:
Benjamin Sesko: 🏟 45 games ⚽️ 21 goals 🅰️ 6 assists
Šeško will be presented in front of the Old Trafford faithful before their final 25/26 pre-season game against Fiorentina, where a special presentation will also be held in honour of former goalkeeper, David de Gea.
What do you make of Amorim‘s latest signings, and how well do you think Šeško is going to take to life in the most competitive league in the world?
Perhaps more importantly, what might it mean for some existing players?
Featured Images — Manchester United/Wikimedia Commons
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My Chemical Romance fans are losing it as emo favourites appear to tease UK tour
Danny Jones
American alt-rock and emo favourites My Chemical Romance aren’t just back for one last Black Parade; it looks like they might be heading to the UK for more tour dates.
Not just a phase, never was.
My Chemical Romance (an entirely different kind of MCR) made yet another mighty return to the fore earlier this year, nearly two whole decades on from the release of the seminal album, which dropped in 2006 and has now been toured live again by the New Jersey band.
Playing the album IN FULL for the first time in years, they’ve been busy in North America delighting die-hard crowds, but now a recent teaser has got My Chem fans gearing up for UK and Ireland shows.
As you can see, MCR released the somewhat cryptic comedy sketch above, in which they seem to spoof a gameshow centred around a robot named ‘Quizzo’.
The host of this fictional programme goes on to explain that the result will determine “who will be the next lucky country to win the grand prize of one nuclear winter.”
It might only last for a few seconds, but the main takeaway is that the ‘who’ selected as the recipient of this upcoming prize is none other than the United Kingdom.
Combine that with a simple caption that reads, “Let’s show them what they’ve won”, it’d be hard not to jump to the conclusion that we Brits are about to pretend we’re ‘Teenagers’ again and chant ‘Na Na Na’ until our lungs give out.
In the time since the post went live, fans on this side of the pond have understandably started getting very excited…
My Chemical Romance are coming back to the UK… For the 1st time since 2022 when we all thought it would be the last hurrah…#MCRpic.twitter.com/vHWO5mK89j
At first, some were wondering whether this year’s revival might have also seen the resurrection of their much-mythologised but ultimately scrapped 2019 record, The Paper Kingdom, but it seems pretty much nailed on that their transatlantic followers are about to get some gigs.
It remains unclear whether these still TBC dates will be an extension of the current ‘Long Live The Black Parade‘ tour, which began on 11 July, or something new entirely.
Either way, with this current run of shows due to end in September and hints at a ‘nuclear winter’, it’s a fair assumption to guess that My Chemical Romance will be coming to the UK either later this year or early 2026 – and you bank on a big Manchester booking to be thrown in there too.
Emily Sergeant -
17th May 2023 
