For Sarah, motherhood was already a full-time job. Between Nippers, football, and everything in between. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she found herself navigating treatment while parenting young children and holding her family through the uncertainty of her diagnosis.
In this episode, we spoke with Sarah about balancing treatment with motherhood, and the support systems that helped her through her diagnosis.
“My children keep me extremely busy. All I am at the moment is a professional Uber driver. The children in summer are all in Nippers and surf lifesaving, so that takes up every second of our time. And in winter, it’s football. So, we live, eat, and breathe football. My husband is an ex-rugby league player, and all three of our children play. It’s even on the TV at every moment. Our life is all about football training, footy boots, washing jerseys etc.”
“It’s exciting that Women’s Magic round is in Newcastle. My family and I went to the very first one up in Brisbane, so it’ll be very exciting. We’d like to see the Knights win. They haven’t been doing so well in the men’s team, but it’s just very exciting. My daughter started playing, so it’s great to see it gain some traction.”
2025 marks the inaugural year of the NRLW Magic Round, which is being played in our backyard here in Newcastle, and we are proud to be part of it! The NRLW Magic Round will be taking place over the weekend of August 2–3 at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle. The event will showcase 12 NRLW teams in one location, creating a vibrant, festival-style experience for fans.
Breast Cancer Trials (BCT) is proud to be the match day charity partner for day one of the NRLW Magic Round on 2 August, and we’re shining a spotlight on the power of teamwork in breast cancer research. Play your part and help #tacklebreastcancer, click here to find out more.
Listen to the Podcast
We spoke with Sarah about balancing treatment with motherhood, and the support systems that helped her through her diagnosis.
Can you share with us a bit about your diagnosis and what was happening in the lead up?
“I was diagnosed in June 2021. It was a complete shock. I had a small lump on my breast, which took me to the doctor’s, which turned out to be shingles. My doctor, who I saw for the first time, thought he would just send me to get a mammogram and ultrasound just to be safe. And unbeknownst they found a tumour, which was not related at all to the lump that initially took me to the doctors.”
“It was complete shell shock and then it was full steam ahead from there. I saw a specialist and within the next week I was operated on and had multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, and then ended up with a double mastectomy five years later.”
“I don’t think I even cried until days later. It was just a shock. We’re in the middle of COVID as well, so it was just a very, very strange time. I look back now, and I think I just blocked a lot of it out. It was just crazy. I honestly can’t explain how I felt. Even looking back, I have blocked a lot of it out. It’s just a bad dream really, hopefully I’m on the other side.”
“I had an initial lumpectomy and my tumour was encapsulated, but there were still some margins left. So, they went back in, and they removed the further margins. My lymph nodes were clear, which was lucky. So, my treatment was straightforward from there on. I had four rounds of extensive chemotherapy, which was not fun. And I opted to have a mastectomy instead of going ahead with radiation. It was pretty final, it was a big decision, but in the end, I just went ahead with it.”
“That initial fear of thinking that I may die from this disease. That was probably the worst of it. But once I was told my lymph nodes were clear and that my prognosis could be OK, I was ready to fight and do everything I could.”
Who were your biggest supporters during this time?
“My family and my friends were incredible. I’m going to get emotional. My girlfriends raised $35,000 in the ‘Sarah’s Walking Warriors’ fundraiser that they set up. That sort of kept me going. It made me stand up and be accountable. The army of people around me were amazing for my children because they were only quite young.”
“My community was insane; there were flowers at the door, my husband was trying to tile the front door and kept getting flower deliveries. He was getting quite annoyed, it was pretty funny, but everyone was just incredible.”
“The worst part was telling my parents. I kept it from them for a little while. So, it was a bit of a secret. I was hiding flowers in the bathroom and linen closets, and they started asking what was going on? And then telling them was probably the worst. I think because I’ve probably always been the brave one. I’m an only child; I’m an endangered species in their eyes. But they’ve been amazing since.”
Did breast cancer cross your mind at all in the lead up to your diagnosis?
“No, when I was diagnosed with the shingles, I just thought that was it. And if I hadn’t gone and got those mammograms and ultrasounds on my doctor’s orders, just to be sure, I probably would not be sitting here today. Because by taking the antivirals, the lump that I had thought was a lump of concern went away, it was nothing. But the bad lump was found with investigation. So, I was sent for a fine-needle biopsy, and I didn’t think I could have cancer. It didn’t even enter my mind.”
“Then I got the phone call, and I was just in shock. You just think it’s never going to happen to you. And I’m sure everyone says that. I couldn’t get in for an ultrasound or mammogram for three months in Newcastle. So, I drove to Tuggerah to have that done. So again, I could have so easily not done it, and it just would’ve been a whole different story.”
“The tumour I had was quite aggressive but was caught very early. If there had been lymph node involvement, it would’ve been a whole different story. When I saw the specialist, he told me it was triple negative breast cancer, and I thought that it was a good thing. I thought three times negative, and I learned very quickly that it was not.”
“When he said that I had a very good chance of survival, all I heard from that was that I could die. I may not survive. So, things went pretty pear shaped quite quickly from hearing that. But then everything was full steam ahead from that day. I was operated on the following week, but I don’t have any ongoing treatment now. I just had my chemotherapy in the chair. It was a five-hour process, not nice on the days leading into it, and for the five days after, were not pretty. Thank goodness it was during COVID, and no one had to see me.”
“I see my oncologist and my surgeon once a year each, but with both I see them six monthly. So, I’m continually seeing someone. Next year I’ll be five years post-diagnosis and hopefully that will be the end, and I get to break up with them.”
Did you have a family history of breast cancer before you were diagnosed?
“Funnily enough, it was not a thing at all. But I met, who is now a very dear friend of mine, probably 12 months prior. I met her when my small child kept going to her caravan. And she was at the time going through treatment. And so that made me become aware of breast cancer. But prior to that, no.”
“If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been so vigilant with getting my shingle bump checked. So, it’s strange, the events that sort of led to my diagnosis. I think maybe if I had not met her, I would’ve been a bit more dismissive. We’re friends for life now after that, I always say that I caught it off her.”
How did you find out about Breast Cancer Trials?
“I found out about Breast Cancer Trials through a social media fundraiser. I saw the Big Bold Swim challenge pop up and just because I basically live at swimming pools with my children, I thought I would join the swimming fundraiser and see if I could raise some much-needed funds. So, I did it and I raised $3,000 and here I am now. But I think Breast Cancer Trials are amazing. But yes, going forward, I’d like to do more if everyone wants to donate and support me.”
Why do you think breast cancer research is so important?
“Having a daughter and my girlfriends with young children, the girls going forward are potentially going to be faced with this, and if there are much less invasive treatments would be ideal. Better screening, more availability and access to treatments would all be beneficial. Also, I was lucky that I had Private Health Insurance. I think that’s why I was dealt with so quickly, but not everyone is as lucky – they’re waiting for their results, and the waiting is what does a lot of damage.”
“I think breast cancer research means that breast cancer doesn’t have to be a death sentence, there’s more of a chance. There’s more hope going forward.”
What are your hopes for the future?
“My hope for the future is that I never, ever have to deal with anything like this again. No breast cancer recurrence, as well as those around me, my daughter, that she never has to go through this. With Breast Cancer Trials research, and through everyone donating I hope that we can find a better way forward.”
