Roxy Jacenko ‘I’ll beat this’
The former Celebrity Apprentice star is fighting back against breast cancerer
Roxy Jacenko is living a nightmare. In just three weeks the successful publicist has seen her husband Oliver Curtis jailed for insider trading and been rocked by a shock breast cancer diagnosis – the same disease that almost claimed her mum 10 years ago.
“I remember vividly Mum’s treatment, and what a strain it put on her,” Roxy tells Woman’s Day exclusively. The 36-year-old discovered the lump two weeks ago while taking a shower at home in Bondi, Sydney.
The glamorous mum-of-two was told she’d need an operation to remove the lump and surrounding tissue, along with one lymph node for testing – then all nodes if they tested positive.
But the tumour was bigger than doctors expected, and now Roxy faces a waiting game while tests are done to determine her treatment.
Roxy’s mum Doreen Davis avis had a mastectomy a decade ago,go, and has been by her daughter’s r’s side to provide love and support.ort.
“She’ll tackle this head on, as she does with everything,, exactly as I did 10 years ago,” sayss Doreen.
Strength and visionn
Roxy can still recall her mother’s strength during cancer treatment.atment. “She was running a garment ment manufacturingturing business.. As an owner-operator, perator, time off wasn’t an option. It t was sit at work with h drains in and get on with it.
“If anything, thing, her strength and determination tion gives me a clear vision of the fact that most things are solvable – she did d it [beat cancer], and so will I.”
Roxy has followed her mum’s courageous approach to cancer. It’s business as usual, running herr three companies between doctors’ s’ appointments and caring for her t two children, four-year-old Pixie, a and Hunter, two.
“It’s one helluva juggle,” admits R Roxy, who had to break the news a about her diagnosis to Oliver, 30, d during a six-minute phonecall to P Parklea Correctional Centre.
She also decided she had to e explain the situation to little Pixie. ““I can’t go home with cuts on me a and lie. I had to tell her,” she says.
Her brave girl has been by Roxy’s s s side since, holding her hand as she e s sleeps to let Mum know she’s there. e.
‘Most things are solvable… Mum beat cancer and so will I’