Watching someone you love survive cancer is something you never forget, but seeing them live with the lifelong effects is something you can never truly prepare for.

My grandmother, Linda Van Gils, survived stage 4 squamous cell cancer, but the treatment that saved her life left her with permanent facial disfigurement, the loss of her right eye, and ongoing difficulties eating and speaking. This isn’t about vanity, it’s about restoring her confidence, dignity, and sense of self.

In October 2022, she underwent her first major surgery followed by six weeks of intensive radiation. While it successfully removed the cancer, it caused severe and permanent damage to her face, upper right jaw, and soft palate. In November 2024, she endured further surgery to remove her damaged jaw and palate, leaving her without bone, gum, or teeth on the right side of her mouth.

Everyday things, eating, speaking clearly, even answering the phone, are now a struggle. She is deeply self-conscious in public, especially around children and her great-grandchildren, worrying she might frighten them. And yet, she remains incredibly grateful, to be alive, to the doctors and nurses who cared for her, and for every extra day with her family.

Her care has been extraordinary. She was first treated at Gold Coast University Hospital, then referred to a specialist surgeon at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Sydney who performed a complex, high-risk operation to remove the radiation-damaged bone, improving her quality of life immeasurably. We are forever grateful to the medical teams who cared for her with such compassion.

We are asking for help because my grandparents are age pensioners and cannot cover the next step in her recovery. She now has the opportunity to have a custom prosthetic eye, which would allow her to leave the house comfortably, meet people’s eyes again, and hold her head high. Unfortunately, it is not covered by Medicare, and the cost is $6,000.

She also hopes to eventually have dental work to help her eat and speak more comfortably. Due to radiation damage, this process is complicated, but we are hopeful. She may also need to engage in speech therapy to assess and provide strategies to help her swallow and communicate more clearly as part of her ongoing recovery.

We hope to raise $8,000 to cover the prosthetic eye and the next steps of her recovery. If we are fortunate enough to raise more, any additional funds will be donated to Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, the incredible hospital that cared for her and continues to provide exceptional support to cancer patients.

My grandmother has always been the rock of our family, strong, caring, and selfless. If you’re able to donate, even a small amount, you will help give her something priceless, the ability to feel like herself again. If you can’t donate, sharing this page would mean just as much.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to read her story and for supporting her journey forward.