Life changing double mastectomy
Donation protected
This is our beautiful and brave Auntie Meegie who has been dealt a pretty rough hand. She has overcome cancer twice already in her lifetime, which is more than any person could bear, but this year she has been given the horrific news that she has to once again fight for her life against cancer.
Our Auntie Meegie has already battled and overcome Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in her early 20s, chronic blood cancer again in her 30s; and earlier this year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Meegie was having one of her routine body scans, that is required of all cancer survivors in remission, when the doctors found a malignant tumour growing in her breast.
Meegie is now undergoing weekly chemotherapy. The next step in her treatment would normally involve a lumpectomy and radiotherapy. However due to already having had radiation in her previous fights against cancer, this course of treatment is not an option for her. After being diagnosed with her third different type of cancer, and with the advice of her oncology team, the safest and only effective treatment option is for her to have a double mastectomy. A truly devastating decision, one that is hard for any woman under any circumstances, but most of all for someone who has no other viable option.
She has been inspiring to us as we have grown older and started to make our own marks in the world. We have watched her carry the Olympic torch for the Sydney Olympics and the Queens Baton for the Commonwealth Games. She has been a long-serving member of Surf Life Saving and a determined surf athlete. She has never stopped learning and pushing herself. She is a passionate school teacher and positive role model and is pursuing postgrad research in the hope of a PhD! We just want everyone to understand what a determined, passionate and loving person she is.
Cancer is really shitty, it effects the whole family, and to be back here again for the third time and it has been hard to watch her go through this, now that we’re grown up enough to understand what’s happening. Whilst we absolutely admire her strength and tenacity in her decision to have the double mastectomy, one thing we would like to do to show our support is to help raise money to give her the option of having reconstructive surgery, to maintain - even just a little bit, the quality of life she has fought so hard through her life to have.
The reconstruction is very involved - With all the affected breast tissue being removed during the mastectomy, new tissue is taken from other parts of the body to create the new breast shape as any foreign materials would be immediately rejected by the body . This also means the artery and vein structure around the breasts needs to be augmented so it bonds with the new tissue ensure the reconstructed tissue survives. How amazing is modern medicine!
We know that times are tough for everyone during COVID-19. It has been emotional for us as a family- because of her compromised immunity we have not been able to visit to give our physical support as we are all cut off throughout the country. So, we would like to be able to offer some support by helping to raise some money to put towards her treatment and recovery.
Any little bit helps, and we will truly appreciate any amount you can give. We’ve
felt it super important to try and tell a little bit of her story and seek help from
those who can offer it at the moment.
We send our thanks and love.
Our Auntie Meegie has already battled and overcome Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in her early 20s, chronic blood cancer again in her 30s; and earlier this year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Meegie was having one of her routine body scans, that is required of all cancer survivors in remission, when the doctors found a malignant tumour growing in her breast.
Meegie is now undergoing weekly chemotherapy. The next step in her treatment would normally involve a lumpectomy and radiotherapy. However due to already having had radiation in her previous fights against cancer, this course of treatment is not an option for her. After being diagnosed with her third different type of cancer, and with the advice of her oncology team, the safest and only effective treatment option is for her to have a double mastectomy. A truly devastating decision, one that is hard for any woman under any circumstances, but most of all for someone who has no other viable option.
She has been inspiring to us as we have grown older and started to make our own marks in the world. We have watched her carry the Olympic torch for the Sydney Olympics and the Queens Baton for the Commonwealth Games. She has been a long-serving member of Surf Life Saving and a determined surf athlete. She has never stopped learning and pushing herself. She is a passionate school teacher and positive role model and is pursuing postgrad research in the hope of a PhD! We just want everyone to understand what a determined, passionate and loving person she is.
Cancer is really shitty, it effects the whole family, and to be back here again for the third time and it has been hard to watch her go through this, now that we’re grown up enough to understand what’s happening. Whilst we absolutely admire her strength and tenacity in her decision to have the double mastectomy, one thing we would like to do to show our support is to help raise money to give her the option of having reconstructive surgery, to maintain - even just a little bit, the quality of life she has fought so hard through her life to have.
The reconstruction is very involved - With all the affected breast tissue being removed during the mastectomy, new tissue is taken from other parts of the body to create the new breast shape as any foreign materials would be immediately rejected by the body . This also means the artery and vein structure around the breasts needs to be augmented so it bonds with the new tissue ensure the reconstructed tissue survives. How amazing is modern medicine!
We know that times are tough for everyone during COVID-19. It has been emotional for us as a family- because of her compromised immunity we have not been able to visit to give our physical support as we are all cut off throughout the country. So, we would like to be able to offer some support by helping to raise some money to put towards her treatment and recovery.
Any little bit helps, and we will truly appreciate any amount you can give. We’ve
felt it super important to try and tell a little bit of her story and seek help from
those who can offer it at the moment.
We send our thanks and love.
Organizer and beneficiary
Rachel Wilks
Organizer
Gaythorne, QLD
Megan Bancks
Beneficiary