Partnership making dreams come true for metastatic cancer patients

Kununurra local, Liza Mann is one of the growing number of young Australians diagnosed with bowel cancer. At just 36-years-old, Liza was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer in 2018.

“I had blood in my faeces. I didn’t think much of it at first and figured it would go away, so I left it for a month or two. Then I started to get stomach cramps and the blood became more frequent, so I went to see the doctor. She sent me for blood tests and a colonoscopy. As soon as my colonoscopy was done, I was told I had a tumour in my lower bowel and they were 99% sure it was cancerous. Bowel cancer had never crossed my mind. I’ve always kept fit and had a healthy diet, so it was a massive shock,” Liza said.

“I was so excited to be granted my dream. I chose a long overdue desire to return to Canberra. Canberra is the place that my wife and I began our married life 37 years ago, and it holds a special place in my memories as it was also the birthplace of our son. It’s where my family began. A stay at the wonderful Jamala Wildlife Lodge was an added experience to make my dream perfect. After a cancer diagnosis, your life is overtaken with doctor appointments and treatments as the medical world endeavours to keep you healthy. It was pretty special to be able to escape this world for a little bit and go on an adventure and create new memories with my wife,” Bob said.

CEO of Icon Cancer Centre Australia & New Zealand, Paul Fenton, said Icon is committed to making a true difference in the lives of individuals living with cancer.