“Having been through my own cancer experience I’m really passionate about trying to help others and raise awareness, particularly for younger women,” Katie said.
“There’s a lot of loss, you might not lose your life but there’s a lot of things along the way — you lose your hair, perhaps can’t work, can’t socialise like you used to so it can be a daunting time.”
ERH currently only treats about 40 per cent of local patients, meaning Katie is among the majority of people who experience travel as a big part of their treatment experience.
After having surgery to remove cancerous lumps at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, she continued travelling there from Echuca for chemotherapy.
“I was pretty terrified about starting chemotherapy and what that was going to mean for me as a mum,” she said.
“I wanted to have the start of my treatment in Melbourne knowing I was in the best hands possible, but then I transferred to Echuca because the travel was taking its toll on the family.
“I couldn’t drive in the middle of the treatment, so I needed someone to drive me down and that was getting too much.
“Being here and knowing I could be with the kids made life a lot easier.”
The new centre has received $7 million in Victorian Government funding and is expected to be completed by mid-2022.
It will include a dedicated wellness space where patients and their families can access services to complement their treatment.
“As a young woman I was interested in how I could stay fit and healthy, eat well and take care of my mental health, and there wasn’t much access to those services,” Katie said.
“The new Cancer and Wellness Centre will provide an integrated service all under the one roof, not only increasing the number of chairs and access to specialists but expanding to include more holistic services, which will focus on emotional and mental wellbeing, not just physical.”
Katie said the new facilities would be beautiful — creating a calm and relaxing space.
“For me going (to ERH) the nurses become almost like part of your family; for three months I was having treatment once a week,” she said.
“You spend a lot of time there so you want to feel comfortable — and the current facilities are old and outdated and not even meant for cancer services.”
During her treatment, Katie said her mum practically moved in with her family — husband Luke and children Xander and Bowie.
“When I was going through my cancer I was awfully concerned about my husband and mum who were strong for me but probably going through their own trauma as well,” she said.
“For them to have somewhere they can go to access information and get that help they need to stay strong will not only help the cancer patient but the whole family.
“When you’re going through active treatment your life’s quite regimented but I found once I completed my treatment there’s this big gaping hole.
“You don’t want to be ‘Katie who’s defined by cancer’ but it does change your life.
“If I had somewhere to go talk to someone and access some meditation or yoga, it would’ve helped my recovery.”
Katie volunteers for the Look Good, Feel Good program which helps people at the start of their treatment manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer, and will be located at the new centre.
She urged the Echuca-Moama community to give generously.
“This centre is going to make a difference to so many in our community but we can’t do it alone, we need your help,” she said.
“Current funding leaves us $1.3 million short, which might seem like a big ask, but we all know this community is incredibly generous so we’re calling on each and every one of you to dig deep and fundraise in whatever way you can.”
For more information and to donate visit erh.org.au/cancerandwellness
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