Kate’s story
When 28-year-old nurse Kate Attwood found a lump in her breast, she expected reassurance. She was young, healthy, and had no strong family history. But in October 2023, in a quiet ultrasound room far from her home in Gundagai, everything changed. The radiologist’s expression softened, and in that moment, Kate’s world shifted.
As the diagnosis was confirmed days later, the fear wasn’t only about cancer – it was about time. Becoming a mum was important to Kate, always part of the life she imagined with her husband James. But cancer meant she had to make urgent, complex decisions before chemotherapy could begin.
Living in the country added another layer of difficulty. Gundagai to Wagga. Wagga to Sydney. Then Wodonga. More than 50 trips, each one a reminder that cancer in the country comes with extra weight – distance, cost and isolation.
Before treatment, Kate underwent an egg-retrieval cycle in Sydney – a 750km journey – but the embryos didn’t survive. Devastated but determined, she travelled again, this time to Wodonga, for ovarian tissue preservation. Today, 83 tiny slivers of her ovary are frozen, waiting to give her a pathway to motherhood when treatment is over.
Kate and James
Amid the emotional and financial strain, Can Assist stepped in. They helped cover pharmacy costs, fuel and travel vouchers, easing a burden that had grown heavier with every kilometre travelled.
Kate says, “A big, big thank you to Can Assist and to all the people that donate to Can Assist. Having Can Assist there to help and support me through my journey was really important. You can feel very isolated when you get diagnosed, especially in a rural area where there’s not a lot of women in their 20s getting diagnosed with breast cancer.”
Today, Kate is back nursing, carrying forward a new depth of empathy – shaped by the road she has walked, and the hope she still carries for the family she dreams of.
This Mother’s Day, we honour women like Kate – and every mum, future mum, daughter and family facing cancer across the country, and especially our volunteers who make support possible. Your strength inspires us all.
