Fabienne Hartley-Raistrick shares her memories from her recent Stannite reunion:

On July 30th, 2024, nearly 30 years after we left Windermere to explore the world, 27 of us—almost the entire year group—reunited at the beautiful family home of Diana Armstrong-Bruns. Diana, along with her husband Steven and her mother Ceci, hosted what can only be described as the best party of the year at the Forbidden Corner—a weird and wonderful place that perfectly suited our gathering.

The Forbidden Corner, which began as a hobby for Diana’s father, Colin, has evolved into a sprawling maze and garden filled with follies, caves, tunnels, and statues that now attracts thousands of visitors annually. It was a superb location for all of us, along with our children, and of course, our husbands. The weather was nothing short of spectacular—rare for North Yorkshire—making it feel almost continental.

Though we haven't been in constant contact over the past 30 years, we’ve remained a tight-knit group of friends. Social media has played a huge role in helping us stay connected as the years have passed. However, one person was noticeably absent from our reunion—my best friend from school, Tori Bua.

Tori, who is half British and half Italian, returned to her native home in Sicily years ago to help with her family business and reconnect with her roots. Unfortunately, five years ago, Tori was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. The news was a tremendous shock to Tori, her husband Roberto, and their entire family. Their daughter Maisie was only 2 years old at the time, adding the challenge of parenthood to the already overwhelming task of battling cancer.

Tori’s treatment has been a difficult journey, marked by severe reactions to chemotherapy. More recently, she has transitioned to immunotherapy, which we all hope will help keep the disease at bay. Earlier this year, it became clear that Tori was struggling to balance her treatment, her responsibilities as a mother and wife, and the emotional toll of her illness.

In response, a few of us decided to visit Tori to lift her spirits. During the visit, we realized that she and Roberto needed additional support, so we started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for domestic help, childcare, and other essentials to make her life more comfortable. One of the effects of the cancer has been damage to Tori’s spine, causing it to crumble. She now has to wear a body brace to move around. The fund will also help improve her mobility, allowing her to play with Maisie and regain some independence.

We plan to continue visiting Tori in pairs every couple of months, offering social support and assistance where we can. It’s incredible how close we’ve remained after 30 years, and it’s heartwarming to see so many of us willing to hop on a plane to be there for our dear friend.

When Gemma and Briggs visited Tori, her godmother saw how much joy and energy it brought her during this difficult time. Her godmother even sent Tori a video of herself dancing to “I'm in the Mood for Dancing,” which lifted Tori’s spirits. Tori then asked each of us to send her a video of ourselves dancing to that song too. During our reunion, we filmed everyone—ladies, children, and husbands—

To donate to Tori’s fund, please use the link below:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-tori-fight-stage-4-metastatic-cancer