My beautiful brave daughter, Viv

Hi, my name is Geraldine.

My beautiful, brave daughter, Viv Greene, has been diagnosed with cancer.

This year she turned 40 and was aiming to complete her goal of qualifying with her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing....

It all started nine years ago when she moved to Australia to give her daughters a happy, peaceful and secure life with a good education. This move was brave, leaving her country of birth and her family and friends behind to forge a new life, which she has done so well.

Along the way, she has been a bright shining star to so many, including me.

She embraced the opportunity to work and further her studies simultaneously, jokingly telling me a while ago that she would attain her Bachelor of Nursing degree by the time she turned forty. Taking up her studies again was no mean feat; being a single Mum, working full-time AND studying for a demanding degree.

She turned forty in May this year, and sadly, I could not be with her for this milestone.

She was due to start her final internship on the 3rd of October so she could be awarded her degree. She has achieved outstanding marks right throughout her studies.

Then the diagnosis came that has turned our worlds upside-down - four little words, as she says, changed her life: "You have cervical cancer."

This diagnosis has meant that she cannot complete her internship and has to undergo chemotherapy and radiation for five weeks.

She was/is working in Palliative Care - NOT for the faint-hearted, but a role I know she infused with her unique brand of caring, compassion, kindness and wisdom. She cannot work at the moment due to the treatment and the mental and emotional strain.

If I could wave a magic wand, I would give her all the money she needs and be with her every moment she needs support, but I can't. As a Mum of a very precious girl, my heart breaks, and this is the next best, most practical thing I can do.

She has a wonderful "surrogate" Australian family who has given her fantastic support and to whom I am truly grateful. Knowing that there is another "Mum" who can hug her when I can't, another "Dad" who steps in to help in the most practical ways, and who both give her girls a sense of belonging in the best way.

I am appealing to all her friends and family to contribute to her "Go Fund Me" appeal if possible - every little bit will help her through the next few months.

The "little bits" add up and will mean the world to a beautiful girl who has unstintingly given her time, energy, love, and compassion these past years. She will be able to pay her bills, as she has done over the years, support her girls, and get back on her feet after her treatment.

If you can contribute, I thank you as only a Mum can when her "baby" is hurt... from the bottom of my heart.