Caroline's expenses due to a rare & aggressive cancer

Hi, My name is Katie. I am fundraising for a long time family friend Caroline who has been diagnosed with a rare, aggressive and advanced stage Gynecological cancer that is incurable. Rare cancers often involve limited but expensive treatments and Caroline has had to undergo several surgeries with significant out-of-pocket expenses and ongoing expenses for medication and other treatment including a hard hitting chemo treatment plan.

Those of us who know in love Caroline know her as a giver and never a taker and not someone who would reach out when in need herself. With Caroline's permission I'm honored to share her story.

For those of you who dont know her personally she is a one remarkable woman.

Professor Caroline Taylor AM is Australia’s first public victim Survivor advocate of horrific childhood sexual abuse. Caroline was completely rejected by her Family due to multiple convictions being handed down for speaking her truth which left her homeless at a young age.. With a determined fight to rebuild her life she chose to dedicate her life to the needs of other childhood victims as well as animals.

Caroline established a charity that has been going for 20 years and provides practical, life changing opportunities for survivors through a scholarship program designed to help them access and achieve educational pathways to a better future of healing and recovery. So far her charity has given more than $500,000 in educational scholarships for children and adult survivors whose educational pathways were lost or compromised through childhood abuse. Many have gone on to realize goals that they never thought they would achieve.

Caroline has also taken on many rescue animals, some of whom have needed life-saving surgery and ongoing veterinary care and has a long history of pro bono work with survivors and also in fostering and caring for abandoned animals.

The legacy of her work in the area of childhood sexual abuse and family violence is extraordinary. Her work has changed laws in Australia and overseas; has changed the way police are trained in these areas and she is currently a subject matter expert advisor to the federal Attorney General‘s office and a cofounder of the BRAVE movement which is making it's mark as the worlds first fully Survivor lead organization made up of Survivor advocate leaders from around the world changing laws and policy and practice around the world that includes the UN, the world health organization and the Council of Europe where Caroline what’s the lead author of the world’s first policy document outlining the inclusion of Survivor voices in every aspect of policy law legislation and service delivery models. So far this policy has been adopted by 58 countries with more to come!

Caroline has achieved so much and given selflessly and with passionate commitment to children, young people and animals. Caroline works as a consultant as well as providing animal based therapy for people experiencing trauma and other disabilities and has done a lot of this pro bono as well for those in need but unable to afford access to the services.

Caroline is unable to work at present and alongside drought conditions requiring her to buy excess Hay and feed for her animals and the significant out-of-pocket and gap fees for her treatment. Caroline has been using her savings. In particular the savings to do some much needed planned renovation of her kitchen and to improve access to the house given her current health challenges.

Friends supporting Caroline have noted the urgency of a kitchen renovation as the space is not only unworkable and in need of renovation but with Caroline‘s current health challenges it is not a place for her to safely be in.

For a woman who has done so much for humanity and for animals we now want to be able to help Caroline as she faces this life changing diagnosis.

We would like to raise funds to renovate the kitchen that will enable easy access given some of the physical challenges Caroline now has. We would like to complete some maintenance work that was started around the house such as painting and replacing fascia boards to be finished and for a ramp to be built at the back of the house for ease of Caroline entering the house and not having to use the number of steps.

Caroline’s beautiful hair has been lost from her intensive chemo & we would like to purchase a fitted wig to help with self-esteem and dignity with her approval & permission already asked. Other funds will be used to help her buy the much needed hay to help ease the financial burden she is faced with.

Our goal is to raise 45,000 to make this happen & to give back to a woman who has always chosen kindness, helping others & being brave to tell her story to make a positive change to enrich the lives of others.

Thank you xx