This time two years ago, Anna woke up with stomach pain.
She was healthy and just 32 years old so thought it wasn’t serious. Anna carried on with her life as usual, working full time and looking after her little girl, Zoe, who was just a year old.
A few months later Anna woke up again, this time in a coughing fit and with back pain. A physiotherapist advised it was a slipped disc. But the pain got worse and Anna had difficulty walking.
She was referred for a scan and Anna was told she had incurable breast cancer that had spread to her bones. Anna’s father was with her in the doctor’s room when the news was broken. She saw tears pour out of her father’s eyes.
Anna says it has been a really tough time for her with moments of true fear. “I had a baby that’s wasn’t yet old enough to put one foot in front of the other…I can’t help but think of the times I won’t be there for her. Mother’s Day is a sad reminder of that”.
Zoe is a happy distraction for Anna. Her daughter’s energy, cheeky smile and curiosity fill the better parts of Anna’s days with love and joy.
But it’s when night time rolls around and she’s tucking Zoe up in bed that there is an undeniable sadness.
“I can’t help but think of the times I won’t be there for her. She will grow up without having her mum around. What will Mother’s Day mean to her? Thoughts like these are so hard to carry. If I think about them too much I start to panic.”
Anna says knowing she has a support to turn to, in Sweet Louise, is very special.
“Whether its home and hospital visits from my Support Coordinator, connecting with other members, receiving tickets to a show I can take Zoe to, or using my vouchers to help around the house, Sweet Louise has brought some much needed kindness into my life,” Anna says.
“It’s easy to forget that compassion exists when you are dealing with an illness that is so cruel and merciless.”