A new town, a cancer diagnosis and the nurse who became their lifeline

“I wasn’t sure if it was a reaction to chemo. A stroke was the last thing on my mind,” Yvonne said. “Rachel stayed so calm. There was no panic in her voice, but she knew exactly what needed to happen.” 

Suzanne spent four days in hospital, and while her symptoms resolved before she left, the episode became one of the clearest examples of why Rachel’s support mattered so deeply to the couple. 

“Yvonne was my biggest support, and Rachel was hers.”

A diagnosis in the middle of a sea change

Only weeks earlier, Suzanne, 77, and Yvonne had arrived on the South Coast of NSW expecting a fresh start. After more than 20 years together, the couple had sold their home in regional Victoria and moved near Nowra to be closer to family. But while they were still settling into a community where they knew very few people, Suzanne’s world was turned upside down with a diagnosis of stage two Hodgkin’s lymphoma. 

Suzanne’s diagnosis came as a complete shock. As she and Yvonne prepared to start their new chapter, Suzanne had been experiencing ongoing hip and back pain. Her doctor arranged an MRI so they could follow up once they settled in their new home. The scan revealed early-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma around Suzanne’s pelvic area. 

“You’ve been told you’ve got lymphoma and you’re moving to this whole new life, but you don’t know what the prognosis is likely to be,” Suzanne said. “It was a total shock.” 

It was during these early appointments that Suzanne and Yvonne were introduced to Rachel, who quickly became a steady point of support as they navigated cancer treatment in an unfamiliar community. 

Suzanne started chemotherapy in mid-January 2026, only weeks after the move. The first cycle was difficult. Her immune system dropped quickly, she developed RSV and colitis, and complications impacted her diabetes. Rachel was there to help coordinate Suzanne’s care, connecting her with an endocrinologist, working closely with the wider cancer care team, and ensuring neither Suzanne nor Yvonne felt they were navigating the challenges alone.

A lifeline in a new community

From the beginning, Rachel became a trusted source of support. She attended appointments with them, helped interpret complex information when chemotherapy brain fog made it hard for Suzanne to take everything in, and was always available to answer questions or follow up with the wider team. 

Rachel’s support was practical as well as emotional. She helped Yvonne manage Suzanne’s diabetes during treatment and respond to side effects like neuropathy. “I was telling her about my neuropathy, and her simple answer was just to wear socks all the time,” Suzanne said. “It was so simple and so obvious, but it made such a difference. She could answer what felt like complex questions, but never made you feel silly for asking.” 

Suzanne also knew how much Rachel’s support meant to Yvonne. During the hardest parts of treatment, when chemotherapy brain and exhaustion made it difficult for Suzanne to advocate for herself, Rachel became the person Yvonne could lean on. 

“My biggest thing was knowing that Yvonne had support through all this,” Suzanne said. “Knowing Rachel was there helped me stay calmer, knowing Yvonne wasn’t left with unanswerable questions while I was out of it with treatment side effects. Especially in the first few cycles, we would have really struggled without Rachel.” 

Care that carried them through

Rachel describes Suzanne and Yvonne as open, warm, and willing to do whatever was needed, which helped build trust quickly. That trust became essential during Suzanne’s most difficult moments, from navigating the first cycles of treatment through to recovering from the stroke. 

For Rachel, being able to walk alongside people through their cancer experience is the heart of her role. “What I love most about my job is being there every step of the way,” she said. “Seeing the impact we’re able to have on people’s lives, you don’t get that in other jobs.” 

Suzanne has now finished treatment and is doing well, though she continues to manage lingering side effects. Looking back, both Suzanne and Yvonne describe Rachel’s support as essential. 

“Without Rachel, it would have been damn near impossible,” Yvonne said. “I don’t know how mentally we would have gotten through this whole process without her.” 

Suzanne and Yvonne had arrived on the South Coast knowing very few people, unsure what treatment would involve or how they would manage so far from their old community. But through Rachel’s care, they never had to face cancer alone.