Canberra couple John and Jacki are sharing their experience of caring for each other through cancer during National Carers Week (11-17 October), highlighting the critical role of carers and the support that helps them continue caring.
Through cancer diagnoses, regular treatment and other ongoing health challenges, John and Jacki have been taking turns caring for one another. The pressure of treatment, work, appointments and caring responsibilities eventually became overwhelming.
Jacki says one of the biggest challenges carers face is how easily their own needs can disappear into the background. "Cancer might happen to one person, but it affects the person standing beside them every day. When you're a carer, it's easy to lose yourself in all the must-dos. You spend so much time focusing on the person you love that you forget to look after yourself."
Their experience reflects the reality for many. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, the impact extends well beyond the individual. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around three million Australians, or approximately 12 per cent of the population, provide unpaid care. Partners, family members and friends often become carers overnight, taking on emotional, practical and financial responsibilities while navigating their own wellbeing.
After connecting with Cancer Council ACT's Supportive Care team through their Cancer Liaison service, John and Jacki began regularly attending the ENHANCE Wellbeing program and found something that had been missing - connection with others who understood the realities of living with cancer and being a carer.
"For the first time in a long time, I'd had a laugh," John said. "You stop feeling like a diagnosis and start feeling like a person again."
Cancer Council ACT CEO Verity Hawkins said National Carers Week is an opportunity to recognise the often-unseen contribution carers make every day. "When carers receive the support they need, they are better equipped to provide the invaluable care they deliver every day,"
Today, John and Jacki say the support they received has helped them reconnect with others, regain confidence and navigate the ongoing challenges of cancer together.
Jacki emphasised that "It's not about people doing everything for you. It's knowing there's a chair behind you if you need to sit down". John continued, saying: "This organisation [Cancer Council ACT] saved us. Not medically, but definitely mentally and emotionally."
