Walking Larapinta on behalf of an incredible Mum This June, Louise Rafter will trek the Larapinta Trail with the Cherish team on her mother’s behalf. Jocelyn Rafter, in her eighties, may not be able to complete the hike, but she’s certainly backing her daughter in spirit. “Mum wants to show her tremendous appreciation for Professor…
Trekking Larapinta & telling her story to help save other women’s lives Ovarian cancer survivor Meredith Johnston admits she had the wobbles on the day we spoke about trekking the Larapinta Trail. She had experienced some abdominal pain. Meredith’s scientific brain was saying it’s probably OK, but she found it hard to dismiss the fear…
Ella Bache CEO Pippa Hallas discovers cancer is anything but beautiful Ella Baché CEO Pippa Hallas affectionately describes her mother as a “Mum Mum” devoted to her family and their wellbeing. Pippa also points out that Merrilyn was a fourth generation Aussie who just got on with life, she was very brave, and didn’t complain…
Why a busy CEO is getting off the grid to walk Australia’s red centre Two years on from her mother’s passing, Ella Baché CEO Pippa Hallas is preparing to honour her by trekking the Larapinta trek for three days with Cherish. We asked Pippa to share why she decided to take up the challenge. “Donating…
Nikita was finishing school and looking forward to Christmas when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It turned her world upside down. Nikita had thought her expanding tummy was weight gain and exercised more to try and get rid of it. Then, realising it was something more serious, she finally asked her mother to take…
Retired community welfare worker Bronwen is the first to admit that she was never very good at going to the doctor, but an itch ‘down there’ forced her to seek treatment and led her to Professor Andreas Obermair. These days, she never misses a check-up. “When it first appeared, I was looking after my mother…
Living on the Fraser Coast in Queensland Karlie, Katherine and Rebecca bonded in the early days of their treatment for ovarian cancer. The trio formed the Tealsters FC, and every year since their diagnosis, they have organised events to raise funds for gynaecological cancer research. They have also participated in Cherish’s previous beach volleyball fundraiser,…
In her late thirties, Lili Gibson-Tesese was having difficulty falling pregnant. She consulted a fertility specialist and was shocked to learn she had endometrial cancer, also known as uterine cancer. Lili’s first thoughts were about whether she would ever become a mother. The standard treatment was a radical hysterectomy, which would rule out having children. Thankfully,…
“We need to talk – I have vaginal cancer.” These were words Mia never imagined she’d say. It was February 2015 and Mia had just been diagnosed. Two years on, she’s sharing her story about cancer and lymphoedema in the hope it will make a difference to other women.
When Professor Andreas Obermair was asked if he would commemorate the life of one of his former patients, Karen Lunney, during the Cherish Trek to Mt Everest Base Camp, he did not hesitate. “It would be an honour,” Andreas replied to her partner Dr Peter Best. Bringing Karen Lunney’s extraordinary life into focus Karen,…