Continuing a legacy to save lives
Through her battle with ovarian cancer, mum-of-three Leane Flynn, 55, fought through some of her hardest days to help raise awareness and fundraising after being told that her cancer was incurable. Her daughter Amelia says the family continues the fight for answers, in memory of her courageous mother.
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of female reproductive cancers in Australia. This Ovarian Cancer Awareness month campaigners are focused on hope and finding an early detection test. Before mum was diagnosed, we didn’t know anything about ovarian cancer. It didn’t take us long to become well versed in the disease, thanks to mum’s tireless research and education, taking as much of her care into her own hands as she could.
I can remember when mum was diagnosed, we just didn’t understand how severe it would be, or how relentless. Mum would have chemotherapy and the cancer would be gone, but it just kept coming back and coming back. We could have never imagined the journey mum would have. She was so strong and resilient She could be having the worst day and she would still greet you with a smile and ask how you were.
Some people couldn’t believe that she was so sick because mum always put herself together and always picked herself up, every single day. But one message mum would share was to listen to your body. Know what’s going on and what feels different. If there’s a screening test for something, get it done and get a solid baseline for how you feel.
If there’s a screening test for something, get it done and get a solid baseline for how you feel.
Unfortunately, we know that most of the time when ovarian cancer is discovered, it's already reached an advanced stage. There are often no symptoms early on, so that by the time a person experiences symptoms, the cancer has already progressed. That’s why we need an early detection test, so no family has to go through what we went through and no other woman has to go through what mum went through. This could be sorted so much earlier and people could have such a better chance.
We know that an early detection test will save lives. A little over a month after we lost mum, dad and a group of cycling mates known as ‘The King’s Men’ rode 400 kilometres through Victoria’s high country. They raised an incredible $128,000 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation and that money’s already being put to work through an additional research grant.
Mum would always say “don’t be afraid to speak up for your health” - she saw it as her mission to raise awareness and fundraise. We just want that legacy to continue.
For further information about ovarian cancer - About Ovarian Cancer - Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (ocrf.com.au)
