A monthly donation of $15 provides a vital support pack to a woman impacted by cervical cancer in Australia or provides a full course of HPV vaccine to a girl in a developing country. Please join our Orange Army and become a Regular Giver, we encourage you to sign up here.
Melissa’s day was travelling along like most others, wrangling a newborn and six year old, as well as housework. The only difference was– she was still recovering from day surgery. But as you know the show must go on, housework doesn’t do itself.
Melissa
Next thing, the phone rings and it’s the midwife in relation to her pathology results from surgery. She was asked if she would be able to come straight in to see the gynaecologist. What?? The follow-up appointment wasn’t until Friday. She tells Melissa not to speed & get here safely. Melissa takes her children to the appointment and the midwife watches over them whilst she and the doctor go into her meeting room.
The results are in – vulva cancer and abnormal cervical cells. After years of fertility treatments, surgeries and now this scary word cancer! Even though all of her checks and pap tests were up-to-date!
The next step: appointment with Gynaecological Oncologist. The rollercoaster of tests start. More results are in and Melissa has a rare case of two cancers at once. Both vulva and cervical cancer. These were not the results that Melissa and her husband were expecting.
After further surgeries and treatment, Melissa celebrated her two-year anniversary of being cancer-free. Her check-ups went from being every three months to every six months. It was in that time between check-ups that a secondary cervical cancer diagnosis was found in May this year.
“Unfortunately, I got a re-occurrence and the reoccurrence hasn’t been very pleasant because it had spread to other parts of my body as well,” Melissa says.
Melissa with her mum
Melissa is unfortunately never going to be cancer-free. She will continue to be on very regular treatment & check-ups for the rest of her life, however long that may be. She doesn’t know. She is praying for a miracle that will give her more quality of life and time with her precious family, especially her two young children. As well as more time to continue raising awareness around cervical cancer and the important work ACCF does to support families like Melissa’s.
“The support we have received from ACCF has really helped our family. I urge you to support ACCF and become a member of the Orange Army so they can continue the work they do which helps not only women like me, but our families as well.”
You can become a member of the ACCF Orange Army and become a regular giver which will allow ACCF to provide awareness, education and support to women like Melissa.
