After Anne's husband Dave was diagnosed with two primary cancers in 2006, the couple decided to leave a gift in their Will to Cancer Council WA. Anne shares her story in the hopes for better treatment options in the future, and so that others won't have to face the same news that she and her husband did.
Dave and Anne's Story
Dave was diagnosed in 2006 with oesophageal cancer. At the same time, they also discovered a large tumour on one of his kidneys, which was a completely separate cancer.
"Unfortunately, the oesophageal cancer was advanced and very rapid, so he was already at stage 4 when he was diagnosed", Anne shares.
Living in Busselton at the time, Anne describes the difficulty of coming to Perth for treatment. With no freeway at the time, the journey would take up to 3.5 hours.
The couple stayed at our Crawford Lodge, which helped to reduce some of the stress associated with making the trips from Busselton.
That year, Dave received chemo and radiotherapy to treat the cancer. They were anticipating surgery on both cancers, but unfortunately, the treatments weren't successful and the cancers were still growing. This meant he couldn't have the surgery.
"He was put on some trial drugs in July. Unfortunately, he had some really bad side effects from the this, he flared up in blisters and was really sick. He struggled to eat, he couldn't swallow and he lost a lot of weight", Anne shares.
Dave sadly passed away at Christmas in 2007.
Anne says, "he actually died on Christmas Day, which is something I've almost not forgiven him for because it's never been the same since."
Leaving a lasting legacy in their Will
Anne shares that they were grateful for the support they received during Dave's treatment.
"We stayed in Crawford Lodge and accessed the support network there. We had to give up our jobs at the time, so we also received some financial support," she says.
Anne shares that this is one reason why they both decided to leave a gift in their Will to Cancer Council WA.
"We both never had a lot of money, but we know every little bit helps," Anne says.
She adds, "I think like everybody, I would just like to see cancer gone. I would also really like to see more research and natural treatments developed that have less severe side effects".
Seeing the positive side of her cancer journey
Anne says that despite the difficulty she has faced in the past 16 years, there has also been a lot of positive things that have come from her cancer journey.
"When I first went to the support group through Cancer Council, it was just very sad time. But it was lovely to meet some other people that were going through the same thing," she says.
She adds "I've met so many friends through cancer. As awful as it is, I've made lifelong friends from the support groups, and we still meet up. It hasn't been easy at all, but I've had so many supportive and good things come from it as well."
If you are passionate about making a difference, please consider including a gift to us in your Will and help us achieve a cancer free future for all. All gifts no matter the size help us work towards our vision of a cancer free future.
