First off I would like to say thank you for coming this far.  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has supported our family throughout the years.  From chemo drop offs, to play dates, homemade meals, kind words, smiles, shaved heads, keeping us laughing  and much more, you are all really incredible friends and have helped us more then you will ever know, so thank you. 

On the 21st of March 2020 Dad and I will attempt to swim the 20km to Rottnest Island in the Port to Pub swim as a duo.  This is an open-water event off the coast of Perth , Western Australia.  When I tell people this they ask me two things; are you scared of the sharks and why are you swimming?  My answer to this has been "yes" and "before dad gets too old",  but there really is a lot more to it. 

Going back to 3 December 2005 when my Mum was diagnosed with a Stage 3, 27mm cancer tumour in her right breast.  I was 2 1/2 years old at the time, and much more interested in the Wiggles. 

Fortunately, after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy the cancer had gone and we were back to normal. 

Unfortunately, a year later the cancer was back but this time it had appeared in her left breast.  

Fortunately, a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction did the trick.

Wooohoooo normal life returned and we had cut a break (but not for long).

4 years down the track Mum discovered another 13mm tumour in her left breast.  This meant more surgery, more chemo, and more radio,  and no hair (again).  2010 was quite a look for mum with no hair and braces. 

All in all after:
7 months of chemotherapy,
70 zaps of radiotherapy, 
10 operations,
2 shaved heads,
and more than 1/4 million dollars paid out by Medibank, Mum is back to healthy. 

With Mum's latest surgery in 2018 being the end to all of the treatment, it has been a long stretch spanning almost 14 years. Besdies that, Cancer has impacted on our lives in other ways  and it has really changed my life as well as the people around me and my parents.  This is why raising money for The National Breast Cancer Foundation is so important to me, so that we can support funding for research in diagnosis, treatment and prevention and hopefully, this doesn't have to happen to any other families, or at least a lot less.  I am so lucky to have my mum with me but unfortunately not everyone is as lucky.  I am swimming for Mum but your donation isn't just for her, its for your mum, sister or daughter so that we can reduce the chance of breast cancer happening to them. Thank you for reading this and any kind donations and lets hope there are no sharks while we're swimming :)