Firstly, TAG APAC, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my story today, and for supporting this cause not just in New Zealand, but across our wider APAC business in Australia and Singapore.
I am one of those 1 in 10 women diagnosed. In November 2016, having only moved to New Zealand the year before, with no history of cancer, the unthinkable happened—at only 36 years old, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. This is not a disease that only affects women aged 45 or older anymore.
My family & I were navigating a new country, our 7-year-old getting used to new schooling systems & new jobs, working full time through rigorous treatment schedules. All without our usual support network around us because they’re all based overseas. It was, without question, one of the most challenging times of my life, but also the most rewarding! It made me realise what’s truly important in life!
2026 holds an incredibly special place in my heart, as this December marks 10 years cancer-free!
Looking back over the last 10 years, I couldn’t have predicted a more perfect outcome: a 4-year-old girl who is our little miracle and completes our family of four, friends who have become family, we built our own home, and a country we now proudly call home.
While I was lucky enough to be diagnosed early, it’s not lost on me that many women are not. We need to keep talking openly about checking ourselves, trusting our intuition when something doesn’t feel right, and pushing to get tested as soon as possible. Early detection saves lives.
In my case, I was in denial, so had it not been for my partner pushing me to get the lump I discovered checked, I’m unsure where I’d be today. In the end I was diagnosed with stage 3, HER2 positive, PR positive breast cancer! What this means essentially is that my hormones were feeding the cancer at an aggressive rate, so early surgery including a left breast mastectomy, 6 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 cycles of radiation, 17 cycles of Herceptin treatment and 10 years of hormone therapy, which I will complete in January 2027!
I am just one example of why checking your body regularly, listening to your intuition and your loved ones are so important! If we keep talking openly and learning from each other’s journeys, we create a wave of knowledge through our communities & hopefully through that early detection & prevention!
I would also like to take a moment to acknowledge a very special breast-sister, Nikki. You fought bravely, my friend, always with a smile on your face, no matter how sick you felt. You kept me going on my hardest days. On our 10th breastaversary, I’ll be shouting loud, proud, and in pink!
Many years have passed since you became an angel. You will never be forgotten and are never far from my thoughts, alongside the hundreds of women and men (yes, men get breast cancer too) who have lost loved ones to this disease. Today, I am your voice.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Kiwi women. 1 in 10 women will be diagnosed in their lifetime, and 650 women in Aotearoa die from the disease every year.
That’s why I’m hosting a Pink Ribbon Breakfast this year - to help change that.
Please donate to raise funds for life-saving education, life-changing patient support, and groundbreaking medical research—and bring us closer to a day where there are zero deaths from breast cancer
