2 minute read • Car Lottery, Mater Cars For Cancer, Patient Stories, Mater Lotteries, Car News, Cars For Cancer
Louise's Story
Louise just finished nursing her daughter when she noticed a lump on her breast.
Suspecting that it was a bout of mastitis, common with breastfeeding, Louise waited a couple of days to see if any more symptoms arose. When there was no change, she promptly booked an appointment with her doctor.
Following her intuition and advocating for three separate rounds of tests, Louise was diagnosed with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC).
“The experience of being diagnosed with breast cancer was very intense, my first thought was, ‘how can this happen, I am so young and I have no family history’. I worried about my daughter. It was a very emotional time coming to terms with the reality of being a mother and going through treatment for cancer”, said Louise.
Triple-negative breast cancer is a rare and aggressive type of breast cancer that tends to grow faster, spread more easily, and recur more often than other breast cancers. Young women are most susceptible to receiving a TNBC diagnosis.
TNBC remains a challenging form of breast cancer to treat. The team at Mater Research are working to ensure critical new advancements, understandings and treatments of breast cancer are quickly translated from the research lab to a patient’s bedside.
Aged 34, Louise underwent surgery for a mastectomy followed by 16 rounds of intensive chemotherapy. To keep her positive mindset, Louise has been writing poetry and journaling throughout her journey.
Research is so valuable, it’s a perspective I’ve had even before I was diagnosed with cancer. With TNBC being rarer and more aggressive, it is so important that we support research so we can access new information and more treatment options.
“Anyone out there who is thinking of buying a ticket, thank you. I feel emotional about it, because I know that your support of research changes lives. It has changed my life.”
When you purchase a Mater Cars for Cancer ticket, you are joining the global effort to change the future of cancer diagnoses, treatment and care. Thank you for your support.
