Hope for Abby: Fighting cancer together

On 20 January this year, our lives were turned upside down. I was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Still shocking to write those words.

My husband and I had just started our lives together as new parents. Our baby girl Ariya had just turned 7 months old, I had gone back to part-time work and life was good. We were excited about 2023! Little did we think that some back pain would mean cancer.

Since being diagnosed I have been poked and prodded like a science experiment. I started chemo straight away, which meant I lost my hair almost instantly. Yes, hair is such a superficial thing, but to go from normal life to worrying about if my daughter will recognise me has been mentally so hard.

At this point we didn’t have a diagnosis, since it was too hard to biopsy my pancreas. I then had a biopsy of my spine which also came back inconclusive. Still no diagnosis and I had already started chemo. My brain couldn’t accept that I had cancer because I’ve always had my health on my side. I grew up playing competitive sport, my body grew a baby, and I was running 5km the week before my diagnosis, so how does one have stage 4 cancer?! I ended up having a small part of my lung removed and that confirmed the worst, pancreatic cancer that had spread.

I did 3 months of an intensive chemo, to find out it wasn’t working. I had put myself through hell to see no results. Such a big mental toll on myself and my family. We moved on to the next line of chemo. In the meantime, I needed spinal surgery, where I had 8 screws placed in my spine whilst on chemo. Still doesn’t feel real. My favourite thing to do is give Ariya cuddles and over the last few weeks I haven’t even been able to carry her.

Since we have almost exhausted our options here in Australia, we are going to the United States in the hope that different treatment will work.

I sit here writing my story, not for pity, but instead hoping to make me feel empowered to stay strong. I know what I’ve been through is hard but I know I can get through it.

If by any chance you have any spare change, it would mean the world if you could donate. I have been blessed to have such amazing family and friends around me. Truly truly blessed. But unfortunately, this treatment is going to cost 100’s of thousands of dollars, and I have been such a financial burden on my loved ones.

I want to fight this awful disease, I’m not even close to being done yet. I feel like every life experience has prepared me for this. I need to get through this for my daughter, for my husband, for my sister, for my parents, for my extended family and for my friends. I am a big believer in miracles, and my Ariya needs her mummy, so I am going to beat this, just need to find the thing that works for me.

Thank you for reading my story, and any donation would be hugely appreciated!