Raelene’s story

Born and raised in Mt Isa and a proud Mackay local for over ten years, Raelene truly understands the heartbeat of regional life. 

After meeting her husband Andy while working in the Mt Isa mines, and relocating to Moranbah to build their life and home together, they face life head-on. 

However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing.  

In August 2020, after noticing some changes to her breasts, Rae booked in to a visiting breast screening truck. A follow-up biopsy revealed that she had an aggressive, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.  

“It was quite advanced really, I ended up having a tumour that was six centimetres by 10 centimetres, plus when they actually did the mastectomy, I ended up having 11 tumours all up,” Rae said.

“I’d really encourage women living in regional areas to make the time to get your checks done, because the sooner you go, the less invasive your treatment could be if you have cancer.” 

Although Rae’s check-ups are now biannual, and her journey is not complete, she is passionate about shining a spotlight on the power of regional women being able to receive local treatment, and the importance of early detection.  

“Everything was done here (in Mackay). We didn't have to travel, which was a godsend. We didn’t need to jump in a car for four or five hours.” 

This Mater Giving Day, Raelene is so grateful for the local treatment she was able to receive at Mater Hospital Mackay, and the countless women regional healthcare will benefit in the future. 

While there are a number of challenges still on her horizon, Rae’s outlook on life is strong and positive, as she and Andy continue to work their way through a long list of ‘bucket list’ adventures they vowed to stop putting off.