Katie’s Story

In November 2021, Katie, a medical scientist and busy mum of two young children received a shocking breast cancer diagnosis.

“I decided to go on a health kick following a stretch of COVID lockdowns in Darwin. I lost about six kilos. That’s when I felt it. It was quite small. A lump.

I definitely didn’t think it was cancer. I am not someone that checked my breasts often. Being a working mum… I didn’t have time to check, or to be sick” said Katie.

Katie went straight to her doctor and a few days later was booked in for a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy.

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer, but I didn’t know if it was in my lymph nodes, or if it had gone to my liver.”

Katie had a positive experience delivering both of her children at Mater. As soon as she found out how serious her diagnosis was, she knew she wanted to receive her cancer
treatment at Mater too. The same week she received her diagnosis, Katie and her family made the snap decision to relocate from Darwin to Brisbane.

“I was really confident in the medical team and the treatment that was chosen for me at Mater.”

Six rounds of chemotherapy later, thankfully, it appears Katie’s tumor has shrunk.

“I am recovering now from the chemo, preparing for surgery in the next few weeks. After surgery I will have radiation, and I also have ongoing immunotherapy infusions for 12 months.

Nearly six months on from her diagnosis, Katie’s children are settling into their new school in Brisbane and Katie and her husband are staying positive and taking each day as it comes.

It’s thanks to your support, buying tickets in Cars for Cancer, that Mater can continue to provide hope and healing to patients like Katie.

Every ticket the you buy helps to fuel vital cancer research and exceptional patient care. You really are changing lives with every ticket that you buy.

Thank you.