In 2005, my life was turned upside down. In the space of 8 months I had become a:

• A  cancer patient
• A Bereaved Mum
• A Sole Parent

It all started when my 2 year old daughter, Kenzie was diagnosed with an aggressive bone cancer in April, which left her paralysed. My marriage broke up in the June and I was diagnosed with aggressive HER2+ breast cancer in the July.

The cruelest blow of all came when Kenzie died on the 29th December that year. So as the new year dawned, it was absolute hell in the hall way, but I would not let my soul freeze over in the winter of despair.

I held onto hope, and by 2009 Kenzie’s Gift had been established to help support the emotional needs of children and families living with cancer in the community.

I believe in hope, for without it we have nothing. Living with cancer is hard, and I believe it is about quality of life: living your life well when you are here-however long or short that may be.

I have taken steps to rebuild my life again, which has enabled me to do things I would never have dream t possible:

• Running a marathon
• Swimming ocean swim events
• Jumping out of a plane
• Rafting white water rivers
• Completing a Psychology degree
• Founding a charity
• Sharing my story publicly

Cancer has changed me, the person I was and am now are different? What about you?