I can’t change what has happened, but I can get on with my life! Karen Daniels, a mum of two from Auckland, was 41 when she received her diagnosis of advanced breast cancer in 2015. “When I heard the diagnosis I couldn’t understand how this could be happening to me. I was young and fit. I was a regular at the gym, training six days a week for power lifting … Read More
Natalie Yeoman from Dunedin is a mother, grandmother, teacher, poet, writer and musician. Natalie shares here her difficult story of missed signs and ‘failure to treat’ that eventually led to incurable breast cancer. She also shares her positivity, her gratitude for your support, and some of her beautiful poetry. “In spite of regular self-examination and mammograms, my breast cancer was not picked up until the beginning of 2015. I first … Read More
This video series, created through a partnership between Sweet Louise, The Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ and Metavivors NZ, is called The Gifts to the Future, He Koha ā Mua Legacy Project. It’s about acknowledging the distinct needs of those people who have the advanced, incurable form of breast cancer who have felt hidden away and ignored. The Gifts to the Future, He Koha ā Mua Legacy … Read More
Whilst we were all anxious when the first lockdown began, at least for most of us, it meant staying in indoors in the relative safety of our own home. But for our member Preeti Satam, who was visiting family in India when the lockdown was announced, it meant being locked out of New Zealand. She shares with us her adventure on getting back home to Auckland. “I was invited to … Read More
Jessy Terry from Mokau in the Taranaki region (age 76) has been a Sweet Louise member for 12 years. She brings an incredible warmth and generosity and to the member meetings – leaving a deep impression on those she meets. Our Support Coordinator Nicki, says there is something very special and spiritual about Jessy. We hope her story here conveys some of this. Meet Jessy About 12 years ago I … Read More
Our Sweet Louise member Lynne Hanson shares her love of a road trip adventure and living for the moment! Lynne says: “We have owned various buses and caravans for over 40 years and recently purchased a new motorhome to enable us to travel around the country now that I’ve retired. We’ve got solar power so there’s no need for campgrounds. We have everything we need on board – no packing … Read More
Avalon is a Sweet Louise member from a very special part of the country. Avalon is Ngāti Mahuta ki te Hauāuru and lives in Taharoa on the west coast of the North Island, to the southwest of Kawhia, in rural Waikato. Thanks to positive thinking and a job she loves – she knows she’s got this! “My breast cancer was diagnosed in 2014,” said Avalon. “They told me at that … Read More
Mata’s first thoughts were for her daughters Elizabeth and Inglera when she was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer. “My world fell apart. All I could think about was staying strong for my girls,” says Mata. Mata’s girls know everything about her diagnosis. She’s told them about her treatments and what’s going to happen to her. “Inglera is my fighter. She tells me no one and nothing will take me from them. She tells me to fight.” A … Read More
Fred’s Story It was May 2008 when Sandra was diagnosed with breast cancer. Typically, Sandy’s attitude was “let’s get on with it and together we can beat this bugger”. Although we occasionally shared our fears that it would return, the more time that rolled by, the more we believed we had indeed beaten “the bugger”. On Christmas Eve in 2013, Sandra was admitted to hospital for urgent treatment after finding out her cancer … Read More
Louise had everything to live for. She had just graduated and recently married. At 29, Louise was told that the cancer had advanced to a secondary stage. She was given just two years to live. Louise received excellent medical care but knew that while this was necessary to keep her alive, it wasn’t enough. She filled her life with reasons to live, tending her mind, body and spirit and discovered a variety of ways that helped her deal with … Read More