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Leave a legacy by including a gift in your Will, starting a tribute page for a loved one, or funding a research grant for early-career cancer researchers driving clinical innovations.
Organise a fundraising event in your community, either as a team or an individual. You can join one of our existing fundraising events or you might like to come up with your own way.
When organisations work together, we can have a greater impact for every Queenslander going through cancer and help amplify our message for all Australians.
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When single mum of two, Nat Hunter, went to the emergency room with stomach pains in February 2023, the last thing she expected was to be told she had bowel cancer. Like most young people, Nat had no idea bowel cancer claims more lives between 25-44 year-olds than any other cancer. Tests quickly discovered she was one of the 3000 Queenslanders affected every year. A tumor in Nat’s bowel had spread to her liver, meaning she had stage 4 cancer. Nat was rushed in for colostomy surgery where surgeons removed the tumor from her colon, which had been growing undetected for six-to-twelve months. Unfortunately, the tumors in her liver were too large to remove straight away and they needed to be shrunk with chemotherapy first. “You always think cancer will happen to someone else,” Nat explained, “but it doesn’t discriminate. Particularly with bowel cancer, you just assume that’s an older person’s disease. But anyone can get it.” Since February 2023, Nat has undergone six rounds of chemotherapy at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and has had six surgeries. Like many, her cancer journey has been marked by complications, obstructions caused by scar tissue. infections, and long stays in hospital.Looking back, Nat says there were symptoms – primarily thinned dark stools – but bowel cancer was the last thing on her mind., “In retrospect there were clues but it’s the last thing on your mind. You’re not thinking I have bowel cancer. A lot of people have tumors in their bowel, and they don’t know, so it spreads everywhere. I’m so grateful I had the obstruction. It was still stage 4 and I’m not out of the woods, but they got it in time before it had spread to my lungs when it wouldn’t be very treatable.” To document her journey, Nat started writing a journal. But she quickly realised she wanted to reach and educate more people about bowel cancer, so she started a TikTok where her video diary has reached over half a million people. “I want to make it my mission, it’s great how many messages I started getting after I just had my operation. It’s really cathartic to be able to help other people.” That help is now taking Nat to Parliament. “I’ve been asked by Bowel Cancer Australia to be a representative in Parliament this June, because bowel cancer has the highest death rate for those between the ages of 25 and 44. It goes unnoticed, people just think they have a funny tummy.” When detected early, bowel cancer is curable in 90% of cases. The Never 2 Young campaign Nat represents aims to lower the screening age, as well as increase awareness, improve pathways and further research. If you, or someone you know, has been impacted by bowel cancer, Cancer Council Queensland offer practical and emotional support services such as transport, accommodation, counselling and wigs and turbans. If you need help, please call our information and support line on 13 11 20, Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.
