Digging Deep for Tess O'Connor

‘A little resolve is what I need now…’ as in the great lyrics of the Foo Fighters, it’s time for digging deep and resolve in Tess O’Connor’s journey.

For the past week, Tess’ world and that of her loved ones was turned upside down with a rare and aggressive diagnosis.

On Sunday 10th December, Tess; a mum, a partner, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a teacher, a colleague, a friend and an all round bloody incredible human being was admitted to hospital with violent and unrelenting abdominal pain. For a number of months she’d been suffering from night sweats, fevers and fatigue, with Tess thinking it was just classic menopausal symptoms being of that age.

Little did Tess know that a raging and rare monster had rapidly began infiltrating her beautiful body. On Tuesday the 19th December (a short 9 days since first hospitalised) Tess received a confirmation life-changing diagnosis of a rare non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma type B cell sub-type Mantle Cells cancer.

Tess is currently in Brisbane Hospital under the care of an awesome team who are monitoring her pain and fast tracking treatment based on PET and Echo scan results. At this time, her spleen is 30cm long and her liver is twice it’s original size, and still growing. Doctors have not seen this kind of rapid growth before, such is the rarity of this cancer. Chemo is scheduled to begin on Friday 22nd December.

We, the Office OGs know that you know, Tess would give you the last ‘python’ in her ‘chocolate box’ when and if you need it and if the table was turned, Tess would be beside you championing you and unequivocally supporting you physically and emotionally with her ‘intellect’, ‘loving arms’, ‘crass humour’, ‘weird arse singing’ and ‘infectious laugh’.

Today, on Tess’ story she was ‘grateful for:

So our question to you: What are you grateful for today?

Your generosity will give this Mumma Bear and her three beautiful cubs, Jed, Coop and Lola, peace of mind knowing that financially, they can continue paying their living expenses, seek specialised treatments and pay for any unexpected medical costs along Tess' journey of recovery.

Your donation whether small or large will, one day, be returned to you twofold.

With Tess' permission, the Office OGs have created this ‘Go Fund Me’ because ‘we always wrap around each other'. We will continue to update the page whilst Tess is kicking this MoFo up the arse.