A woman who used her own devastating cancer diagnosis to help others has now had the backing of Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden – as she makes a postive impact on other’s lives
A woman who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast chemotherapy has developed a life-changing app for women to check their bodies, with the backing of Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden MBE.
When Gemma Ainger received the devastating diagnosis, she put her energy into creating something that could make a real difference, and positively impact people’s lives – all while going through surgery, radiotherapy, and in remission.
The marketing professional from Gurnsey was diagnosed with breast cancer at 42 after she noticed something unusual in the shower, although she rarely checked herself, feeling healthy and had no family history.
Now her new app, called My Breast Friend, has launched with a mission to help people check in with their bodies – quite literally.
READ MORE: ‘I’ve spent £100,000 to get the world’s biggest bum – it weighs seven stone’READ MORE: After work pub culture is a lost tradition – but Gen Z are determined to bring it back
Gemma’s cancer was quite advanced, and because she wasn’t checking regularly, she didn’t find it at an earlier stage. This was the inspiration for her app, as if she had caught it sooner, her treatment could have been easier and her outcome more positive.
Her cancer was sitting there waiting to be found, but because she wasn’t checking often, she didn’t spot it. So she wanted others to have that chance and built My Breast Friend, designed to make monthly self-checks quick, easy, and completely normal, creating positive reinforcement around breast health, and embed a really important routine.
As a fellow breast cancer survivor, Amy knows the importance of early detection of breast cancer and has since been using her public platform to promote this message.
“When Gemma told me about her plans for My Breast Friend it was exactly what I had been looking for – something simple and positive people can do to remind them to check monthly, know their bodies, and act early,” Amy said.
For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror’s Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox.
“I immediately wanted to collaborate with her to make the app the best it can be and reach as many people as possible. I know how vital it is that breast cancer is detected early and if you’re not checking your chest then who is? It doesn’t matter how old you are, there’s no reason not to download this app, it could literally save your life.”
The app was built by Gemma with medical input from leading breast specialists, legal guidance from Appleby Global Law Firm, and the technical expertise of digital agency, Indulge Media, ensuring that it’s medically responsible, empowering and safe to use.
“It’s not about fear or cancer,” Gemma said. “It’s about self-care, awareness and confidence. We should all know what’s normal for our own bodies and we should all be proactively looking after ourselves – it’s one of the simplest ways we can protect our health.”
Gemma said she’s “so excited” for Amy to join her in the launch of her app, and said her breast cancer journey has been similar to the stars. “Through first-hand experience coupled with so much enthusiasm and drive for breast health awareness, I truly believe that together, we can make a huge difference. We’re on a mission to make self-checks normal by turning the My Breast Friend reminders into a lifelong routine!”
My Breast Friend is a free app that sends a monthly reminder to perform a self-check and lets users log any changes quickly and privately. The tone is warm, positive and stigma-free – because checking your boobs, chest or pecs shouldn’t feel scary or clinical.
It comes as one in seven women are likely to develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and nearly half of women in the UK admit they don’t check regularly, so My Breast Friend aims to make self-exams as routine as brushing your teeth.
“Not all breast cancer can be spotted from a self-exam but wouldn’t you prefer to be in a position to know your normal and act fast? I see this as a superpower that we should all have,” Gemma added. “Starting in our twenties, if more people get into the habit of checking through their lifetime, we can catch more cases early, resulting in better, more positive outcomes”.
My Breast Friend is free to download now on the App Store and Google Play.
Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We’d love to hear from you!