Shannon's Ovarian Cancer Treatment and Support

My name is Stevie and I'm one of Shannon's children. As you may have gathered by the title, Shannon was recently diagnosed with Stage 3C ovarian cancer, an advanced stage of cancer that has spread to her abdomen and will require intense treatment over at least the following months.

It feels weird to call her Shannon, so I'll refer to her as mum from now. Mum is experiencing many emotions in processing the news, her treatment plan, and what the future may hold. We are doing our best to support mum however it has been difficult for mum to know what she needs in this time. I think mum also finds it difficult to ask for help as she doesn't want to burden anyone - so I'm here, asking for some extra help on her behalf.

Mum starts chemotherapy on April 12th and depending on how the tumours respond, she may undergo 3 or 6 treatments before requiring major surgery to try to remove the majority of the tumours as well as a total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy. We aren't sure yet what treatment will look like beyond this.

It is highly unlikely that mum will feel well enough throughout her treatment to return to work, and it is impossible to say what this may look like after treatment. The financial burden and stress is something that can at least be mitigated and that is why I have created this GoFundMe.

Any funds raised will support with everyday expenses, any out-of-pocket expenses related to treatment and or complementary treatments and support for the side-effects of chemo, and hopefully, provide a clearer headspace for mum to just focus on battling through her treatment. If there are more funds available, if well enough mum may be able to plan some brief getaways and or other activities that will bring mum happiness and peace while continuing to make positive memories.

Our family is so appreciative of the support so far and I know mum will be beyond grateful for any and all support, in all its forms. I hope this will also act as a message to her that we are all rallying around her and she won't ever be going it alone.

If you've read this far, thank you. Because I've also committed to shaving my head in solidarity as mum has been told that she will lose her hair. Raising funds for mum and raising her spirits in the process will definitely help with following through!

Some information about Ovarian Cancer:

- Around 1,815 Australians are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year

- Approximately 1000 lives are lost to ovarian cancer annually in Australia

- There is no early detection test for ovarian cancer — a pap/cervical smear does not detect ovarian cancer

- Although a small number of cases are associated with a genetic predisposition, the cause of most cases remains unknown

- Due to vagueness of symptoms and lack of an early detection test, around 70% of cases are diagnosed when the cancer is in the advanced stages, having already spread to other parts of the body.