Help Save Trisha's Life

32-year-old Trisha Toa from Vanuatu has been a post-graduate student at the Australian National University (ANU) for the past six months on a scholarship. On May 17 she was diagnosed with the very serious HER2 breast cancer which has spread to the glands under her right arm. With surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment Trisha has a 70 percent chance of a cure (with surgery only this drops to 30 percent). However, as an international student Trisha’s medical insurance won’t cover much of her required treatment and faces potential costs of over A$60,000. Her family are unable to assist her financially.

We first met Trisha when she came to our church earlier this year and have come to know her well over the last 6 months. We are appealing for donations to give Trisha the chance to continue living. All funds raised will be used for Trisha’s medical treatments and associated costs.

This remarkable young woman has much more that she can contribute in so many ways. Trisha is a young mother with a 9-year-old son who is with her husband Roney in Vanuatu. Tragically, Trisha and her husband lost a baby son, John, a few weeks after his birth in 2020 due to the lack of medical facilities in Vanuatu. One of her aims has been to set up a Memorial Fund to her son John to provide much needed equipment for the paediatric section of Vila Hospital in Vanuatu. She was already working towards this in Australia when she was diagnosed with cancer.

Ironically, one of the areas of research she hoped to undertake during her time at ANU was on the effect of breast cancer on the women of Vanuatu. Your donation will not only enable Trisha to beat her cancer but will enable her to complete these projects and be an immeasurable force for good in our world.