Helping people affected by cancer

Emily’s Story

Emily was 26 years old when she first noticed a lump in her left breast. After initially assuming it would just go away, she eventually went to her GP, who sent her for an ultrasound. A Stage 3B Breast Cancer diagnosis followed, as did 16 rounds of chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, and five weeks of radiation therapy.

Around a year later, Emily received the heartbreaking news that her cancer had returned and had now metastasised to her bones.

“I was angry that I had done everything they had thrown at me, and I’d powered through it all for the last two years only to be told it hadn’t worked” explained Emily.

Emily says she copes by trying to turn negative experiences into positive thoughts and having the opportunity to do something...

Equipping Flinders Infusion Suite with essential ultrasound machine

Dry July isn't just about giving up alcohol for a month, it’s about making a meaningful impact in the lives of those affected by cancer. This year, Flinders Foundation is asking Dry July participants to help contribute to enhancing the care and comfort of cancer patients in the Flinders Infusion Suite.

Imagine undergoing chemotherapy and facing the added stress of multiple attempts at vein access. This is where your support comes in. By going dry this July, you can help fund an essential handheld ultrasound machine, specifically designed to assist with difficult venous access.

“This technology will make the vein location process much smoother, reducing patient anxiety, discomfort, and the need for multiple cannulation attempts,” says...

George and Sarah's Story

Meet George and Sarah, a couple whose journey through cancer diagnoses and treatments exemplifies resilience and support in the face of adversity.

It all began with George, noticing alarming symptoms during a leisurely game of golf—rapid weight loss, fatigue, and dizzy spells. Initially brushing them off as minor inconveniences, he couldn't ignore the severity when black stools appeared. Prompted by concern, George's condition deteriorated over the Easter weekend, leading to a visit to the hospital emergency room. There, he received the sobering news of a stomach mass but was sent home with instructions to follow up with his GP for further evaluation. With a history of testicular and bladder cancer, his cancer should have been a flag for...

Michael’s Dream

Michael, 61 is living with advanced cancer. After finding out about what Dreams2Live4 can do to help adults living with advanced cancer he wrote a beautiful handwritten letter explaining what his dream was,

“My only son Nicholas is due to get married next Friday in Sydney, and this is the one thing that has kept me going knowing that my son’s wedding was so close. My family are the most important thing to me on this planet, and I have drawn strength knowing my son’s wedding is on next week. I love all my family …and I’m very humbled that Dreams2Live4 have considered my request to allow me to spend this valuable time with my son and family on this special day.”

Michael needed medical transportation to get him to and from the Central Coast...

Christine's Story

Meet Christine Wells. Christine is one of Our House's most frequent guests, staying at Our House 32 times during its 11-year existence.Christine's first visit was with her husband, John. Christine and John live in Tenterfield; when a doctor diagnosed John in Tugun, he was sent to Lismore for treatment in 2009. Our House wasn't built when John's first treatment started; he was housed in Hospital accommodation on Laurel Ave. They watched Our House being built.

Christine and John's first visit was in 2013, and they have stayed 32 times since then during John's treatment and through his many operations.Sadly, John passed last year to pneumonia.

"We named Our House our second home", Christine said.

"We have stayed in every room except room 1....

Ann Marie's Story

Ann Marie was in her last year of training to be a teacher when, on Christmas Day, she noticed a small red mark on her breast. Initially she thought it was a bump from playing frisbee with her kids, but something prompted her to make an appointment with her GP.

Ann Marie remembers sitting and waiting with her husband, Derek, for the results. Both were sure there was nothing to be worried about. But within a few weeks, Ann Marie had surgery to remove a tumour and had started the first of her 19 radiation treatments. Throughout this period, Ann Marie was still attending her final university lectures.

“My lecturer was so surprised to see me in class, when he knew I had surgery the week prior. But to be honest, the classes were a good thing...

Rachel's story

My name is Rachel and I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Bowel Cancer at the age of 38. This consisted of surgery and six months of chemotherapy. I was fortunate to be accepted into the Pinc & Steel Targeted Class Program with Daina from Evoke Physiotherapy. This was a six week program where I met other Cancer patients on similar journeys. It was a great way to share stories and discuss similar side effects from treatment. As a group we were able to provide support and advice and also be guided by Daina.

The classes were small which meant that each person got individualised support Exercises were able to be tailored to each person's capability, individual needs and accommodate how everyone was feeling given treatment side effects.

I...

Allie's Story

Allie is one of a kind.

A cancer survivor, a teacher and a solo traveller. At age 27, whilst working in London, they noticed a lump in their breast. Allie’s GP dismissed it as a cyst due to their age. A year later the lump had become painful, so they trusted their gut instinct and followed up. Allie was first diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2018. They advocated for and underwent a double mastectomy with the hope of preventing reoccurrence.

Allie lives for adventure and thru-hiked the Camino de Santiago trail following surgery, before moving to Australia. Once there, they swapped hiking boots for a push bike and cycled solo around Australia, including a stretch between Melbourne and Perth.

In early 2022 Allie was re-diagnosed with...

How Danica found support through the phone after being wrongly diagnosed just before Christmas

Mother of two, Danica Bunch, was told that she may only have two years to live only a couple of days before Christmas in 2022, “When the nurse came to see me and broke down in tears, I asked her why she was crying, and she said she was overwhelmed with feeling for me as the diagnosis was so bad,” she says. Danica was wrongly diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.

It wasn’t until early the following year that Danica was told that the nurse had mixed up her results with another patient’s and, while she still had breast cancer, her diagnosis was treatable.

Danica said that the timing of being (unknowingly) misdiagnosed was particularly challenging, “Any news at Christmas time is so hard, but over Christmas you also have services shutting...