Please help my mum as she fights stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma

Hello everyone, just a quick update about mum. She has undergone her first round of immunotherapy with only minor side effects and is currently doing well. Thank you all for your continued support during this difficult time, It’s truly appreciated and my family and I are beyond grateful.

Hello family, friends and kind hearted fellow community members.

My name is Monique. My mum Tash is a beautiful 39yr old woman living on the Northside in Brisbane, Queensland. Mum is a daughter, sister, mother of two young ladies -myself and my sister, Chi Chi (grandma) to a cheeky, full of life little miss who has just turned one and her little brother who is still currently baking. She has recently and very unexpectedly had her life turned upside down.

On the 26th of June this year, my mums GP sent her for a lumbar CT to investigate a possible bludging disc. Instead a large lesion was discovered in the bone of her pelvis requiring further investigation with a bone biopsy.

On the 15th of July my mum was at work when she received the phone call that has turned everyone’s life upside down. The hospital broke the news to her that she has stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma.

On the 19th of July she then attended the Cancer Care Unit to meet her oncologist and commence the first round of treatment. My mum will be undergoing Immunotherapy for three months, before follow up scans are taken to see whether the Immunotherapy is having a positive effect on the cancer or if other options need to be explored.

With a very overwhelming few weeks and the future being uncertain, I speak on behalf of every one who loves her. We would really like to spend as much time as we can with my mum. We also want her to live without worrying about additional medical expenses and the cost of daily living, until she is able to access support.

My mum is a Sole Trader and with an uncertain future and the inability to work, she has no income coming in to support herself. She hoped to try and continue to work through treatment but her medical team has recommended against this due to the nature of her job and because of side effects she may experience. Unfortunately she is unable to access her super fund for a minimum of 26 weeks. Centrelink has informed her that the application for an illness support payment would likely take upto 6 months due to backlog. Several referrals have been submitted to different organisations via the hospital but they all take time.

My mum is someone who’s dedicated her career working in Disability Support to assist people living their best life, kicking goals and being active members of our community. She has always been there for her family, friends and anyone going through a rough patch. She is loyal and compassionate, giving help and support to those in need hoping to make their situation easier. Lastly my mum did everything for my sister and I to make sure we had the best childhood. We did sports, went on holidays and we were always loved and supported. You could say my mum is the real wonder woman!

She has now found herself in a position where she needs the help that she so often gives others. I’m asking for your help to give my mum a little freedom, without financial stress while fighting cancer.

Thank you for taking the time to read my mums story. My family would be extremely grateful for any donations you are able to contribute to while she fights her toughest battle yet. I understand times are tough, so if the only support you can contribute is sharing her story, our family will be forever grateful.

Thank you,

Carolan Family❤️