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.

Tess found a lump whilst stretching in bed one morning. After a visit to her local GP in Gundagai, Tess travelled 80kms to Wagga from her hometown of Gundagai for tests and was advised that she had breast cancer 10 days later. 

When Tess met with her surgeon, they discussed what could be a simple lumpectomy but when the surgeon explained about the chance of recurrence, Tess opted for a double mastectomy. She also had 17 lymph nodes removed, in which cancer was found in one of them. This was followed by 30 rounds of radiation from late January to early March – Tess got through each of these sessions by knowing that each session went for the length of 2 pop songs. Whilst the timing of checking in and having the radiation could take 15 mins, the whole process was made longer when you add in the 160km round trip required to get to treatment and home again. 

Since breast cancer is hormone driven, there was some concern about an ovarian cyst that was discovered. So Tess had surgery in July to remove the cyst, as well as her ovaries and fallopian tubes.  

Tess is now taking a hormone blocker, has lymphedema in her right arm and chest wall – which is treated with a pressure sleeve, and a chest band to use whilst sleeping. 

Assisted by Can Assist with many fuel vouchers, community car rides, assistance with the costs of a lymphedema breast band, and the hormone blocker medication, Tess is very “grateful to Can Assist as at the time fuel was just going up – it was a great strain”. Tess also appreciated the practical assistance she received from Can Assist “I was desperate for advice… of what to expect”, and the emotional support. It “seems every step of the way, whenever it got scary, I was offered hope”. 

“Can Assist, I’m so glad that you are here. Thank you Can Asist. Thank you to all of the donors. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”