FOR SARAH KELLY DIAGNOSIS CAME WHEN SHE WAS IN HER LATE 30S. A YOUNG AND HEALTHY MARKETING PROFESSIONAL AND MOTHER WITH A LOVING HUSBAND, AN 18 MONTH OLD BABY GIRL.
MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT ONE AUSTRALIAN IS DIAGNOSED WITH BRAIN CANCER EVERY FIVE HOURS AND MORE CHILDREN DIE FROM BRAIN CANCER IN AUSTRALIA THAN FROM ANY OTHER DISEASE.
High incidence of brain cancer, especially among young adults and children is the biggest killer of people under 40 But despite these alarming statistics there is little public awareness and inadequate public funding,resulting in limited research and very little progress in the last 30 years.
For Sarah Kelly diagnosis came when she was in her late 30s. A young and healthy Marketing professional and mother with a loving husband, an 18 month old baby girl and part of a strong community based around
family, friends and church. In September 2021 when for most of us the
biggest fear was COVID, as we all nervously tested for symptoms, for Sarah it was something else. Often those diagnosed with brain tumours are first alerted that something is wrong by the onset of seizures. When asked what were the symptoms that alerted her that something was not right, Sarah describes how her ‘hand stopped working.’
The brain surgery that followed swiftly discovered a tennis ball size tumour on the right side of her brain, thus affecting her left side. As with all brain surgeries there was the potential risk of being paralysed but in Sarah’s case there was no other option but to go
ahead with surgery.
The intricate surgery removed all that was safely possible leaving Sarah with a permanent disability down her arm and leg. As well as an acquired brain injury, affecting her memory. This was during the COVID Lockdown and so she had to go through post- operative recovery alone without being able to see her husband, Steve, her daughter Esther or any family or friends.
Think of waiting on your own for the results of the biopsy and then hearing that she had Grade3 brain cancer and possibly only two to
five years to live. Now four years later she has defied this. As she says: ‘accept the diagnosis not the prognosis.’ »
SARAH’S TEAM RAISED
$71,000
FOR THE BRAIN CANCER CENTRE FOUNDATION.
22 SARAH’S STORY
What followed were six weeks of radiation then a year of chemotherapy.
The chemotherapy was the hardest with debilitating nausea and tiredness, stopping her from giving full attention to a vibrant
toddler.
‘I lost a year of my daughter growing up.’ And then recalls ‘the pain of hearing her playing and laughing and not being able to join in.’ She’s grateful for the support of her husband, her family, her Church and wider community.
Among those she mentions are the Pakenham Roadrunners and the Park Run group. But also Michael Sutter who ran around Pakenham Lakeside for 24 hours and raised a heap of money!
Sarah knows that she may never live to see Esther grow up or look forward with certainty to grandchildren and old age. So was there a why me moment? Was there anger?
But for Sarah it was more like grief at what was no longer possible. She and Steve had been planning another child which now was no longer possible. From this initial feeling of grief Sarah lives her life as best she can. Rather than anger at what she has lost she has directed her energies in addressing the problem of funding research into brain cancer.
Recently she took part in Point to Pinnacle a fund raising half marathon run in Hobart, famously known as the world’s toughest half
marathon, that starts from West Point Casino all the way to the top of Mt Wellington.
Sarah regularly volunteers at the Brain Cancer Centre and takes ever opportunity to inform people about brain cancer. With a background
in marketing she can see the value of telling her story in the hope that perhaps sometime soon will have a breakthrough to turn the
deadly prognosis of a brain tumour into a treatable condition.
The sense of hope is very much a part of the way she now lives her life and this make her a wonderful ambassador for those fighting brain cancer. Her Facebook and Instagram pages are titled Sarah’s Hope.
When asked how she copes, she replies that she sets herself realistic goals and acknowledges the support she gets from husband Steve who has carried the bulk of the parenting of Esther, and of course her family, friends and church. Her short term memory often lets her down but she has learnt techniques to get around that. »