Diagnosis inspires research donations

THE shock of a terminal ovarian cancer diagnosis for a Townsville grandmother will have a positive benefit for other women.

Sixty- four- year- old Sue Preston was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer eight weeks ago and has been undergoing chemotherapy since.

She went to the doctor for the first time in eight years after experiencing severe bloating and found out about the cancer.

Daughter Rhiannon Ander- son said her mother’s diagnosis shook the family to the core.

“It was such a shock – she’s never been sick,” Ms Anderson said.

“The first month we were so upset, we cried every day.”

Ms Anderson and her family decided to take action and put together a fundraising luncheon ‘ Fight Like A Girl’ on Saturday at Pier Restaurant to raise awareness and help find a cure for ovarian cancer.

“You hear about breast cancer and cervical cancer but you never hear about ovarian – that’s why we’re doing this,” Ms Anderson said. “It’s all about raising awareness and raising funds into research to get an early detection test.”

She said an early detection test was vital.

“It’s one of those cancers that doesn’t present until it’s terminal,” Ms Anderson said.

Her mother Sue is overwhelmed by the support she has received from her family and the community.

“We needed to turn this negative into a positive,” Ms Anderson said.

“We actually are just feeling blessed that we’ve got this time with her, time to tell her what we need to and time to just hang out with her.”

Saturday’s event about $ 15,000 for Cancer Australia.

Ms Anderson said the day could not have gone any better. “Mum had a great day, so we were all stoked,” she said. raised Ovarian