Larissa's breast cancer battle

Hi, my name is Jacqui and along with Kath and Emma, we are raising funds to help our friend Larissa, who has been fighting breast cancer since late 2020.

Larissa’s story

A few days before Christmas in 2020 at 38 and still breastfeeding her nine-month-old son, William, Larissa was told she had HER2 breast cancer. Larissa fought an amazing battle to get well again, undergoing an initial gruelling four months of intensive chemotherapy, a double mastectomy which included removing the lymph nodes under her arm on her left side, a month of radiation, followed by more targeted chemotherapy and associated cancer-fighting medication. At times she was overwhelmed by how unwell her treatment was making her, she was exhausted, unable to play with or care for her boys the way she once was, and her mental health suffered terribly. Despite this, she was committed to going through the treatment for her husband Adrian and two little boys, seven-year-old Henry, and little William.

In February 2022 Larissa had finally come to the end of her treatment, but it had taken its toll on her both mentally and physically. She was seeing a trauma counsellor to help her move forward and was focused on rebuilding her life, being with her family, returning to work, and helping others going through cancer. She started an Instagram page @aftercancermum in late 2022 where she was sharing her journey, key cancer research findings, and her healthy living plans to stay well for the boys. She had also signed up for the Mater Foundation’s International Women’s Day Fun Run to raise funds for cancer research and was inspiring others to get their breasts checked regularly.

Cancer returns

Then in February 2023, Larissa started to experience intense headaches, which an MRI a few weeks later confirmed were being caused by a HER2-related brain tumour the size of an apricot. The tumour was located close to the base of her neck, risked cutting off the fluid transfer between her spine and her brain and required urgent brain surgery to remove it the following day, giving her very little time to accept and adjust to this new diagnosis.

Luckily, Larissa’s brain surgery was successful, and she has started targeted brain radiation therapy. However, the reoccurrence means she is now classed as having stage-four breast cancer, putting her health more at risk and making her even more determined to do everything she can to stay well and – where possible – prevent this from happening to her again.

Integrative health treatment

Larissa’s priority is staying healthy so she can be here for her family and see her boys grow up. As well as following her amazing oncologist’s treatment plans, she hopes to undergo a holistic health program designed by an integrative medical specialist comprising a range of supplements and therapies to ensure the metabolic pathways and environments that feed cancer are blocked. These are not cheap, with the treatment plan expected to cost up to $30,000 for six months.

Larissa has had to stop work to undergo treatment, is now paying for a nanny as William is at home to avoid the risk of daycare illnesses making her sick, and still faces the ongoing costs of treatment and regular scans.

Our goal is to raise as much as we can for Larissa to put towards her integrative health program, and other costs, so she can put her cancer battle behind her and live a happy and full life with her family.

If you would like to contribute to our Go Fund Me for our incredibly courageous and determined friend, we would all appreciate it so much.