Support Abbey to fight against breast cancer

We are raising funds for our dear friend, daughter and mother Abbey, who has recently been diagnosed with invasive carcinoma in both her breasts and lymph nodes.

Having noticed a lump in her breast in late December, Abbey had a mammogram on 3 January. She was called into St Vincent’s Hospital on 23 January for further testing including a biopsy of her breast and lymph nodes. Carcinoma was detected in both her breast tissue and lymph nodes.

The cancer is fast growing, so she needs aggressive treatment. Abbey started chemotherapy on the 13 February this year. It's planned that this treatment continues for 5 months to shrink the tumours and slow any further growth. When she has finished chemotherapy, Abbey will require a double mastectomy and menopause will be induced.

The aggressive nature of her treatment means Abbey will often be unable to work, resulting in significant periods without income. This will be the case for the next 5 months as the frequency and associated accumulative impact of the chemotherapy increases. In addition to this, Abbey will need 8 weeks to recover from surgery after her chemotherapy.

At the time of writing, Abbey has had 2 rounds of chemotherapy and in the days following has experienced extreme fatigue, nausea, bowel issues, and excruciating bone pain. The realisation of being betrayed by her body, unexpectedly facing mortality and being stripped of her femininity over the course of one month has understandably resulted in fear and emotional distress that will require long term processing. Abbey is trying to come to terms with the immense battle ahead of her while managing medical appointments, work and parenting.

Abbey has worked as a Mental Health Clinician for almost 20 years and has supported countless people through periods of great adversity, providing empathy, compassion and guidance. She is a single parent to her beautiful daughters Coco (16) and Beatrix (10) who she describes as her heart and soul. Being the financial provider for 3 people the financial impact of this diagnosis is devastating. Given this stress, she needs our support to help cover the loss of her salary – so she can maintain her independence, continue to pay her rent, support her 2 children, cover medical costs and access personal care and support, such as house cleaning.

Your generosity and kindness will also support Abbey’s wellbeing, allowing her to focus on healing and beating cancer, without exuding precious energy consumed by the stress of ongoing financial burdens. Your generosity will support her to continue being the Mother that Coco and Beatrix know, love and need now more than ever.

Through her work, first as a nurse in the disability sector and currently as a clinician in mental health, Abbey has spent her adult life caring for others and now she needs us to help her care for herself. Abbey views the world through a lens of empathy, in this moment please turn that lens towards her. Abbey is a fighter and incredibly resilient, but she cannot do this on her own.

Please give what you can, any donation, big or small is greatly appreciated.