Help Miriam’s fight #stage4cancer #cancersucks

Many want to help our beautiful friend and colleague Miriam van Zanten who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer of the bowel and liver. Miriam is only 49, too young for this horrible disease to compromise her quality of life or take it away. Having had most of her large intestine removed, Miriam now faces more major surgery if the chemo does its job, if not, that is another story we hope not to tell. Although money doesn't prolong life, it can make someone's arduous journey a bit easier.

Miriam is a nurse who has dedicated her career to those less fortunate, those with substance dependence, homelessness, mental health and chronic physical illness. I have worked with Miriam for close to 20 years and consider her a genuine friend and a person who has the utmost ethical approach to all she undertakes. Unfortunately, being from the Netherlands, her family is not in Australia, and we, her friends and colleagues, want to help give her less financial stress during her chemo and beyond. Unfortunately, Miriam has had to leave the career she loves and no longer has the income she requires to meet her living expenses, let alone afford anything that could make life a bit less stressful for her.

However, despite adversity, she is courageous, never complains and rarely tells anyone of the seriousness of her cancer. We hope you can pass this Gofundme request through your networks; even a small contribution can add up to aid this beautiful soul. Miriam is always the first person to assist others, whether human or animal, and she is dearly loved by all who know her.

We thank you all in advance for any assistance in making her journey a more comfortable and less stressful time.