Meet Corinne
Fighting for Her Future, Fuelled by Love
As a young mum, Corinne had a habit of putting her family first. Always. Until it became time for her to focus on herself—for the sake of her family, and her future.
As a fit and healthy 39-year-old, nothing could have prepared Corinne for a shock diagnosis of Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC)—a seven-centimetre tumour.
“It came totally out of the blue and I had no other symptoms at all.”
After initially putting it off, a GP appointment led quickly to a mammogram and biopsy, which revealed the cancerous mass in her right breast.
“You can imagine my state of mind at that point in time, not knowing what was going to happen to me. But I decided to have a bilateral mastectomy, to reduce the risk of it also happening on the other side.”
While testing initially revealed Corinne’s cancer was contained to the breast, the routine removal of lymph nodes from her axilla (under her armpit) during the mastectomy surgery at Mater Private Hospital revealed that her cancer had spread.
“My doctor, Dr Ben Lancashire, and Mater Breast Cancer Nurse, Ash (Mondolo), came together to tell me the news, which was really devastating to hear,” she said.
“I was totally petrified that I wouldn’t get to see my girls grow up.”
Corinne’s treatment plan intensified, 16 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 rounds of radiation, and the ongoing use of hormone therapies, to conquer the spread and reduce the risk of her cancer returning.
Corinne lost her hair, her eyelashes, her eyebrows—and at times, her sense of self.
“I think at the time I was trying to be really strong for my family and pretend like it wasn’t really that bad, but each round of chemotherapy was very hard,” she reflects.
Through the darkest moment, Corinne found light in her girls and partner Steve, and also the practical and psychological support services on offer made possible through funding from Mater Chicks in Pink.
From the very beginning, Mater Breast Care Nurse Ash was by Corinne’s side.
“I met Ash even before my doctor. She brought me and Steve into her room to talk about the results and assured me that I wasn’t going to be dying anytime soon—which was what was running through my head.”
“I would have felt quite alone without her support.”
Ash helped Corinne navigate the overwhelming journey, step by step.
“Hearing the words ‘you have cancer’ can be the worst news imaginable,” Ash says. “Helping Corinne feel in control, in a moment of time that feels so out of control was vital.”
You Can Help Women Like Corinne
Mater Chicks in Pink was created so that no woman has to face breast cancer alone. With your support, we can continue to provide personalised care, emotional support, and practical assistance to women like Corinne—when they need it most.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, fundraise, donate, or host your own event.
Together, we can help women fight breast cancer with strength, dignity, and hope.
