By ANEEKA SIMONIS
A GROUP of women touched by their friend’s recent cancer diagnosis have raised almost $20,000 for an upcoming cancer fundraiser.
Pakenham’s Emily Main said she and seven other local women will dedicate this weekend’s 60-kilometre fundraiser walk to their friend Caroline Goodie who was given weeks to live at the end of last year after discovering a range of aggressive tumours.
“She was told three weeks before Christmas.
“She’s home and doing well… fingers crossed she can get more medication that suits her cancer so she can fight it,” Emily said.
Emily took part in The Weekend to End Women’s Cancers last year and said her best friend’s diagnosis gives her more motivation to raise money.
“I took part last year because everyone has a mum, most have daughters, sisters. Now I am doing it for my best friend,” she said.
Caroline, who also lives in Pakenham, said she is determined to fight her cancer.
“I had three spots on my liver, one in my lung, over five tumours in my brain, numerous smaller tumours in my bowel and several others throughout my body,” she said.
“The first indication was a small cyst on my side which then progressed to what I thought was a stomach bug a few weeks later in which I was admitted to the emergency department.”
Caroline said radiotherapy treatment has enabled doctors to shrink her brain tumours by up to 95 per cent which is making each day easier.
“The doctors advised that I had a particular gene in my body which could be “turned off“ and treated by a drug which would, hopefully, shrink the tumours and make some disappear altogether,” Caroline said.
“As long as the treatment continues to work my health should improve and if at some point it doesn’t there are new drugs and research in this field continuing.”
Michelle Barratt from Beaconsfield, who is also taking part in the walk, said Caroline’s diagnosis has put more meaning into the walk for her.
“It brings it all into perspective and pulls at the heart strings more,” Michelle said.
The 60-kilometer walk, which raises money for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, starts in Hawthorn East on Saturday 28 February and runs until Sunday 1 March.
