Mother thriving not just surviving

30 Oct 2017

In late 2012, Fiona Hancock made a doctor’s appointment for what she thought was a cold. Instead, she was delivered some much more serious news.

“I found out on that same day that I had pneumonia and breast cancer. It turned out that it was multifocal cancer and I also had it in my lymph nodes,” Fiona said.

It is the kind of news no one hopes to receive or to share.

“It was a really hard day. But the hardest thing for me, was having to explain to my daughter Erica, that I would be going into hospital a lot and why I would be losing my hair," she said.

“However, with the wonderful support of my husband Richard, my mother Janet, family and friends, I felt that I could get through it all."

Fiona went through multiple facets of treatment from surgery, to chemotherapy, to radiotherapy as well as a reconstruction – all completed under the multidisciplinary team at St John of God Subiaco Hospital’s Bendat Family Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

Enabled by generous donors, the Bendat Family Comprehensive Cancer Centre was established to provide excellence in diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management of cancer through research.

The centre holds a focus on holistic care and offers multidisciplinary support from the best practitioners and latest technology.

"The service was excellent, all the nurses were so lovely. I found that having access to a large range of services at the one place made the days that I had treatment easier and more comfortable," Fiona said.

“The support I received was incredible. Everyone gave me hope all the way through. It was such a positive environment.”

Fiona completed treatment and came across the Breast Cancer Survivorship Clinic in 2016, which was established thanks to generous donations to the St John of God Foundation, which raises money to support communities served by St John of God Health Care

The clinic aims to help breast cancer survivors achieve a healthy, meaningful life after cancer, by not only addressing patients' individual problems following treatment but also using the cancer experience as a catalyst to improve their general health and lifestyle and obtain optimal well-being; the focus is shifted to thriving, and not just surviving.

St John of God Subiaco Hospital is the only private hospital in Western Australia to offer a cancer survivorship clinic integrating with clinical oncology services, keeping up with the global trend of offering services to improve the long-term outcome of people affected by breast cancer.

“The clinic was so comprehensive and was tailored to my needs," Fiona said.

“The full service I received from my first treatment, all the way through to the breast cancer survivorship clinic post-treatment was exceptional. Everyone at St John of God Subiaco Hospital really helped me to thrive, not just survive."

Fiona went on to say that going through an illness like cancer encouraged her to raise funds for breast cancer research.

“In January, five friends and I raised $15,000 towards breast cancer research by walking 100 kilometres through the Victorian Alps," Fiona said.

“It is so important that we have funding available for cancer research and programs like the survivorship clinic. The environment is constantly changing and technology is always improving so it is crucial for us to find new ways to enable people living with cancer to both thrive and survive – and to do this, we need funding for research."

Fiona recently celebrated five years cancer free and is enjoying life with her supportive family and friends.

With your support, we can continue to care for people like Fiona who received lifesaving treatment at the Bendat Family Comprehensive Cancer Centre, only made possible by generous donors. 

You can help too by giving a gift towards the Foundation this Christmas.