38-year-old Clontarf resident, Patricia West was having a shower when she felt a lump under her armpit; after a screen and biopsy she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a radical mastectomy followed by four months of chemotherapy at Redcliffe Hospital and was then told she would need radiation therapy. The months of treatment had taken its toll, so when Patricia had to face even more treatment everything just started to feel overwhelming.
Due to her cancer diagnosis Patricia decided to stop her casual job and with only her partner, Shane bringing in income, their financial situation became yet another concern.
Dreading the notion of having to travel to Brisbane city every day for her radiation, Patricia was grateful she could receive her radiation treatment 20 minutes from home at the Icon Cancer Centre in North Lakes.
“Having to go into the city would have honestly ruined us. The drive to and from, including petrol and parking costs would have been a nightmare. Being able to go to North Lakes every day with free parking, and not having to deal with traffic was incredible,” Patricia said.
With only just enough money set aside each month to pay for rent and starting to put off their other bills, their car registration was due and knowing they couldn’t afford it, everything became too much. During one of her radiation treatments at Icon she was introduced to Be Uplifted.
“One of the nurses came and sat with me and took the time to ask me how I was going with everything else in my life and after I told her about my troubles, she suggested Be Uplifted. It can be really hard to know where to get help so being given this information was a real help.”
Be Uplifted is a unique local breast cancer charity that seeks to improve the lives of women, men and their families experiencing difficulty or disadvantage as a consequence of breast cancer. Founded by two breast cancer survivors, Be Uplifted focuses on offering practice support and financial assistance during what is often the toughest time in someone’s life.