SCARBOROUGH resident Nat Willacy was just 32 years old and four months out from her wedding day when she was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Five years on and in remission, she hopes that sharing her story will encourage others to trust their intuition.
“The earlier you catch it the better. It is so important you persevere with what you feel inside your body; my GP dismissed it a few times but I went back,” she said.
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READ NOW“I could have just let it go at that point but inside I felt something wasn’t right.
“If I had listened to that GP it could have been a whole different story; you really need to listen to your body because you know it best.”
After putting her wedding and plans for a family on hold, Ms Willacy went through surgery and six months of chemotherapy.
“Through our journey my husband was actually the one who called Cancer Council WA when he was home and I was in hospital and he just felt overwhelmed,” she said.
“They talked him through all the options and organised some counselling for us. The services that the Cancer Council provide are amazing.”
Next month will mark five years clear of cancer for her.
“I will have all my final scans and blood tests and that’s the big celebratory milestone for me,” she said.
“My daughter May was born in 2014 and it would be wonderful to have another little baby.”
Ms Willacy said while there were extremely difficult moments, she saw a positive side to her journey.
“One of the most beautiful things was how so many people came together and showed support – people that you don’t know well or haven’t seen in years,” she said.
Donate to Cancer Council this Daffodil Day, August 25.
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