This upcoming Daffodil Day has special meaning for Busselton marriage celebrant Liz Clark.
Ms Clark plays an important role in the best day of many couples’ lives, but for the past year she has privately endured some of her worst.
In early 2017, Liz fell into her garage door and knocked her left breast. A bruise and bump appeared, and a few weeks later, the bruising subsided but the bump remained.
Thinking it was a bit odd, Ms Clark went to see her doctor, who referred her to have an ultrasound.
The ultrasound didn’t reveal that the bump had any blood supply or anything else that looked suspicious, so it was diagnosed as a haematoma.
A few months later, the bump was still there, and Ms Clark felt like it had grown. She went to doctor again and was again referred to have an ultrasound, which again showed nothing suspicous.
More months and tests followed, and when the bump still hadn’t subsided Ms Clark was referred to a breast surgeon for a core biopsy. The results of the biopsy revealed the bump to be stage 3 breast cancer.
With no family history and having always kept fit, it was a huge shock to Ms Clark and her family.
In December, Ms Clark had a mastectomy and a number of lymph nodes removed at St John of God in Bunbury.
Six months of chemotherapy followed, which Ms Clark said ‘knocked her about’.
“The second round of chemo wasn’t as harsh, and my hair started to come back, but then I noticed my eyelashes and eyebrows started to fall out, which was a bit of a blow,” she said.
It was during this time Ms Clark visited Busselton Cancer Council WA’s support coordinator Yvonne Innes.
Through the service, she was able to access a wig and a number of complementary therapies to help with the side effects of her treatment, including reiki and reflexology.
In the last financial year, the not-for-profit provided assistance to 1,192 patients and carers in the South West area.
During the same time period, Cancer Council WA loaned more than 2,500 wigs, scarves, turbans and hats to cancer patients across the state.
Ms Clark said she was grateful for the support she received from the Cancer Council.
“The wig gave me the confidence to continue working, and the complementary therapies helped me deal with the mental and physical challenges that came with my treatment,” she said.
“It was really comforting to know the support was there when my family needed it.”
Daffodil Day is the Cancer Council’s major annual fundraising. It will be held on Friday, August 24. To donate, visit daffodilday.com.au.
