Right now Mum is in the fight of her life. Only a few hours after heart surgery Mumzy sends this F*ck You to Cancer. That's just who she is... a strong and resilient Woman. No matter how fatigued or sick she is feeling, Mumzy will always put others first..

The Respiratory team huddle around her about 4 weeks ago to tell us her Cancer was back and had spread throughout her body - spine, pelvis, lungs, heart - you name it. "Well don't you look like Dr Spock from Star Trek!" she laughs to the head consultant ... 4 weeks on and 'Dr Spock' confesses it's her humour that will see her through this.

With sharp intuition and heart on sleeve, you will know where you sit with Mum within the first minute of meeting her... unless you have/love cats. That's the get-out-of-jail free card.


After feeling constantly short of breath through September, Mumzy tackled her fear of hospitals and pushed forward. Since the first visit it’s been a continuous wave of hard news. Breathlessness was from fluid that built up around the lungs and heart which required three procedures (each lung and the heart). I can't imagine the pain that comes with having things travel through your body and around your organs, with little anaesthetic. Each procedure draining 1.0 - 1.6L of fluid. Mumzy knows now and keeps pushing forward.

Results came back a week later. The fluid is malignant and had started to return around the heart and lungs. As a final option, the hospital decide that she needs further surgery to add an opening to the pericardium around the heart and a procedure to slow down progression in the lungs.

There Mumzy sat, copping this news on the chin. Saving face for her sons (and her cats), looking brave and unbelievably positive. In her own words, she's been "winning the spiritual warfare"... And she is. Now we sit waiting in recovery, mustering the strength to be able to start chemotherapy. Doctors are hopeful for tomorrow.

The medical staff and equipment required for Mumzy and around the clock support is a lot. It's a significant worry she constantly has on her mind, which is why we're reaching out for help. Your support will go directly toward oxygen supply, monitoring equipment, home modifications, medication and nursing services. Plus more as we move to palliative care and move to being discharged from Hospital.

Mumzy and I have been through the ringer, over the last 5 years. Her beloved partner passed in 2014 which was then followed by a Stroke the same year (classic Mum, she drove the Manual 4WD to the shops after suffering it before realizing something was really wrong). From then on, I stepped in to become Mumzy's full-time Carer. We've wrestled our fair share of health breakdowns throughout the time including Breast Cancer and a Mastectomy in 2016, Radiation Therapy throughout 2017 and a few other things too. Each set back, each time we've met it head on. Diabetes, high blood pressure, anaemia you name it, we tackle it head on.

This time it's different and if you can support, thank you. Any offer is greatly appreciated from the bottom of our hearts. Be it your time, knowledge, equipment, services, recommendations, referrals etc... Any kind of support is greatly appreciated at this time.

Julia Veronica Rasmussen