Single mum Kerry Brailey who is fighting cancer nominated for Woman of the Year award after losing 2st at Slimming World
The Portchester group nominated Kerry Brailey for her healthy habits while persevering with her health battles
A single mother who survived cancer has been nominated for a Woman of the Year Award at Slimming World, after losing 2st while dealing with family heartbreak and the side effects of her treatment.
“I am really really chuffed with everything,” said Kerry Brailey, who joined the group in Portchester in April. “Even being nominated by the group, it’s just such a big thing. I didn’t even realise that people would take much notice of my journey.”
Kerry joined Slimming World after gaining weight throughout her treatment for a form of breast cancer that spread to her lymph nodes in June 2025.
“To me, I was just going to Slimming World to lose this weight that I’d gained through cancer. But obviously it meant something to all those people, which is amazing,” she said.
“I didn’t go to Slimming World until I had the okay from the oncologists that I could start to lose weight. I’d spent most of my time with cancer indoors. I made a point not to go out for roughly nine months, just going to hospital and back because I didn’t want to contract infections.”
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She said that going to her first group session was “daunting”, but the group made joining “so easy.”
“They were so positive and congratulated me every time I lost even half a pound.”
Kerry joined as a paying member of the group at first, but she discovered that her GP could refer her to Slimming World for 12 free weeks of membership through Gloji, a weight management scheme.
She said: “If you’re struggling with your weight, particularly after cancer treatment, don’t be afraid to ask your GP about the referral scheme or visit their website. Support is available, and sometimes all it takes is that first step. I know you would be welcome to come along to our group in Portchester.”
Kerry was diagnosed with cancer at a one-stop clinic at Queen Alexandra Hospital: “I went in and within five hours, I had biopsies, had a mammogram, had everything done.”
“The doctor said to me, ‘have you got a HRT patch?’ and I said, ‘yeah, I've had it for about a year.’
She said, ‘You’ve had this cancer for about eight months, you need to take your HRT patch off’.”
Kerry also contracted sepsis and cellulitis, leaving her in hospital for eight days.
“That was awful for me because I have a family to look after,” she said. “I’ve got three children, one of them, who is 29, is a severe ketamine addict who has in the past had liver and kidney failure. I’ve been looking after him as his carer for the last six years. I was still looking after him as well as my other children and my grandson.”
Throughout her treatment, Kerry was fighting to find a space in a rehabilitation centre for her son. Also during this time, Kerry’s father was also diagnosed with cancer.
“He is now on palliative chemo, so we are fighting that one at the minute and my poor mum is going through it all,” she said. Despite this, Kerry’s mum made sure to join her at every single appointment.
“In March I finished the treatment, but I’m now on preventative treatment, tablets, for 10 years, and I also have regular zoledronic acid bone infusions,” she said.
“I lost my hair, my eyelashes, my nails lifted so they went orange, I had loads and loads of side effects to do with chemo.”
Kerry describes this period of her life as “awful” but maintained a positive attitude throughout even the darkest days. She said: “Cancer got in the way of my busy life. I’ve been positive the whole way, smiled the whole way. I even cooked the Christmas dinner while feeling unwell, but I still did it!
Nothing was going to be in the way of the life that I lead. I was just going to carry on like normal.”
Although she only has 4lbs left until she reaches her ‘goal weight’, Kerry will continue to attend Slimming World.
“The group is brilliant, I absolutely love going for the support and speaking to everyone and showing that through this hideous journey that I’ve had and also looking after my children, grandson and my poorly boy, it can be done.”