Esther and the foundation team write:

I have the privilege to be writing this appreciation to a dearest friend, soul mate and mentor. I have worked so close to her in a field where she definitely left her mark. Wrestling the fight against breast cancer on our islands is an honour to her that no words can explain, as I admit I do not measure up to her.

As a healthcare professional, breast care and health were her expertise, and the irony of it all was that she was not spared. She aptly read the writing on the wall; time was not on her side but she wasted not a moment to use her own personal experience to voice the needs of breast cancer patients and encourage them to be positive and live life embracing all the beautiful things around us.

Action for Breast Cancer Foundation’s motto is Action Speaks Louder than Words; indeed, she constantly preached that we must always work within the parameters of our aims and objectives, as quality assurance was, for her, as sacred as the Bible.

Malta and Gozo appreciates that the national breast screening lobby for free Herceptin and a standard good quality breast prosthesis compared to the shoddy one we had in the past, were totally the vision and determination of Helen Muscat. The first community-funded breast cancer research project at the University of Malta was also secured under her chairmanship of the foundation.

Helen, in spite of your parting from this life at the young age of 57, I believe your spiritual presence will stay on, that you will still be very close to us. And although our lives will never be the same without your incredible courage, humour, strength, integrity, determination and abounding love for life, you shall keep us on the right path.

Farewell my dear friend. Your smile and your jubilant charisma are greatly missed but what you sowed in us by your continuous inspiration will surely grow into a huge tree, more than we can imagine today.

Until we meet again.