Dealing with her mother’s death as a teenager was hard, because she just assumed everything would work out.
“I don’t really remember the first time she told us about her cancer that well, but I remember the second time when it came back, I was a bit older. She was an absolute mess and I knew as soon as I saw her it had returned, she didn’t need to say anything,” April says.
“When you first find out about cancer, you’re a bit naïve. It can be good if you don’t know what to expect but when you’ve been through chemo, radiation and remission and told it’s come back you know how hard it will be.
“Mum was super positive right to the end, so the hardest thing is we didn’t know as kids (that she was going to die) until the end. I think she wanted to be strong for us, she was always saying, ‘Nah, I’m gonna be fine.’ I remember getting the phone call that it wasn’t looking really good and to make sure we go in to (the hospital to) see her,” says April “It felt like a carpet had been pulled out from under us in a second and everything changed.
“It was such a shock because we always thought she was going to make it. We all had our moment going in to see her and saying goodbye. It was horrific. You never want to see anyone you love in that situation.
“Looking back now, those times were really hard but I’m grateful we were able to have that time with her. A lot of people don’t have that at all,” April says
At 15, April thought 47 was old, but she can now see how young Linda was when she faced breast cancer. It’s why she wants to share her story and help young women understand that they are not immune from a cancer diagnosis.
“Cancer does not discriminate; Mum was so beautiful. She was healthy and super fit and always looking after herself. If you look at lifestyle factors, you’d never pick her to have it,” April says.
“When I was in my mid-20s I realised how young mum was when she found out and how important it is for me to be more responsible with my breast health so I started to have checks and also ultrasounds. It came out of nowhere with mum, so it’s made me and my sisters a lot more cautious.”
Find out how you can get involved with the GIANTS and McGrath Foundation here: https://fundraise.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/giants