Jacqui Bell
13 September 2015
They found a massive tumour. I couldn’t believe it. Mum was distraught. She had a relative who died of sarcoma around my age. And she thought, ‘oh my God, that’s going to happen to Jacqui, she’s going to die’.
What followed was a harsh and extremely difficult treatment regime. While her friends continued their high school studies and normal teenage life, Jacqui endured 46 weeks of arduous chemotherapy and five weeks of intense radiation therapy at Peter Mac.
I felt so tired and ill, I remember looking at my doctor one day and saying, ‘I don’t think my body can take another one of these treatments.
Thanks to progress made in treating sarcoma, which is a group of bone cancers, around 60 to 70 per cent of patients now survive – a life-saving improvement for a disease that once had a 100 per cent mortality rate.
Luckily doctors were able to save Jacqui’s life. She is currently living without cancer and making up for the year she lost as a teenager fighting for her life.
Jacqui understands how important past research discoveries have been in helping her survive and just how crucial it is to ensure ongoing funding into cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cures.
I would like to thank Peter Mac’s supporters from the bottom of my heart. Every little bit helps. Even small contributions will eventually make a massive impact. Hopefully our children can reap these benefits.
Jacqui is alive because of an important research discovery.
But every four minutes, another person like Jacqui is told they have cancer. Your donation to Peter Mac will fund vital cancer research to help give every cancer patient the best chance of cure.
