Details: Kellie Finlayson was diagnosed with Stage 4 Bowel Cancer at the age of 25. She had a baby daughter, a partner who plays AFL for Port Adelaide (Jeremy Finlayson), and suddenly, a cancer diagnosis that is considered terminal.
Her initial reaction was complete denial. She knew lots of people had breast cancer and that there were treatments that could cure patients, but she knew nothing about bowel cancer. She underwent a range of intense treatments, which seemed to be successful, but soon afterwards the cancer returned, and it had spread. Determined to fight, she went back into a chemotherapy regime, and she continues to receive various chemo treatments today.
She started telling her story to raise awareness, but only recently became aware of the impact she was having - she's now saved thousands of lives through early detection, simply by encouraging people to get checked if they notice any symptoms in the bathroom. She's honest about the challenges she faces, both physically and mentally, as she faces her cancer as well as being a young mother.
