Steph was just 34 when she discovered the pain in her hip wasn’t a gym injury—it was osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that disproportionately affects younger people.
“The first thing I said was ‘I don’t want to die. I can’t die,” Steph remembers of hearing her diagnosis.
She’s part of a concerning trend: early onset cancer— diagnosed in people under 50—has increased by nearly 80% in the past 30 years.¹
Young cancer patients face unique challenges beyond their medical treatment. They worry about fertility, career disruption, and missing precious moments with their families.
For Steph, the hardest part wasn’t the complex surgery or intensive chemotherapy—it was being away from her husband Ben and daughters Izzy, 8, and Mia, 5.
“I can handle the pain, I can handle being sick,” she explains, “but being away from my family is what hurts the most.”During her loneliest hospital nights, it was your support that made the difference. The compassionate nurses you help fund were there to hold her hand, chat about her kids, and work tirelessly to get her home in time to kiss her girls goodnight.
“I was cared for so well at The Wesley,” Steph says. “The nurses understand that it’s not just about the medicine—they know I need to be a mum.”
Because of your generosity and the expert care at The Wesley, Steph is now on the road to recovery, dreaming of simple moments: putting on a load of washing, walking the dog, helping out at her daughters’ school.
¹Zhao J et al. Global trends in incidence, death, burden and risk factors of early-onset cancer from 1990 to 2019. BMJ Oncology 2023.
