One Family, Two Heartbreaking Battles – Help Donna Fight Cancer & Support Her Husband With Dementia

Hi, I’m Jess, and I’m fundraising for my best friend Donna—an incredible woman who’s now facing the fight of her life.

Donna has just been diagnosed with advanced uterine cancer. Scans have revealed multiple suspicious growths outside her uterus, including in her lymph nodes and on her adrenal gland. Her medical team suspects the cancer has spread, and urgent treatment is now underway.

In the coming weeks, Donna will undergo a major hysterectomy and partial lymph node removal, followed by intensive chemotherapy and possibly radiation. She will also need another surgery in the near future to remove the mass on her adrenal gland. This isn’t her first battle—Donna overcame thyroid cancer once before—and she’s determined to beat this, too.

But cancer isn’t the only challenge this family is facing.

Two years ago, Donna’s husband, Paul, was diagnosed with early-onset dementia at just 52 years old. His condition has declined rapidly, leaving him unable to work and entirely dependent on Donna as his full-time carer. Watching the love of her life deteriorate has already taken an unimaginable toll—and now she must focus on fighting for her own survival.

Because Paul is under the age of 65, they’ve been ineligible for support from Dementia Australia. They've applied for NDIS assistance, but delays in the public healthcare system have meant months of waiting just to gather the medical documentation required. Only last week were they finally able to lodge their application—meaning any help is still a long way off.

With Paul surviving on JobSeeker (just enough to cover their mortgage), Donna has been the family’s only source of income for the past two years. That income will now disappear while she undergoes treatment and focuses on healing.

After carrying the emotional, physical and financial weight of her household for so long, Donna needs us.

She’s spent more than 15 years working in aged care, devoting her career to looking after our elderly with kindness, dignity and compassion. Now, it’s our turn to care for her.

Why we need your help:

Donna’s journey ahead is long and filled with uncertainty. Between medical appointments, surgeries, travel to and from hospital (almost 2 hours each way), and day-to-day living expenses, the financial burden is overwhelming. She is far too proud to ask for help—so I’m asking on her behalf.

Where your donation goes:

NOTE: Any expenses for fundraising materials (e.g., flyers, banners & posters etc) will be paid by me personally, not taken from donations, every dollar donated goes directly to Donna.

This family is doing it tough—really tough. Every donation, no matter the size, will help ease their load. If you’re not in a position to give, please consider sharing this page. The more people who see this, the more hope we can offer.

Thank you for reading, thank you for caring, and thank you for supporting Donna & Paul.

With love,

Jess