Bowel cancer ambassador Kellie Finlayson (third from left) with Holbrook’s Russell and Judy Ross and their youngest daughter Claire at the recent Holbrook long lunch. Photo: Victoria Leov.
Kellie Finlayson had to make a choice about how she was going to handle bowel cancer.
She could either “have cancer in bed” or grab life with both hands, enjoying every moment of her three-year-old daughter Sophia’s precious milestones.
The 29-year-old partner of AFL Port Adelaide player Jeremy Finlayson was first diagnosed with bowel cancer when she was 25, and recently shared her story at a Holbrook long lunch to support the Albury-Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre Trust Fund.
Kellie, who has endured a four-year battle with cancer, spoke of her ongoing treatment, determination to keep a positive outlook and dedication to educating others about the early detection and prevention of bowel cancer.
Not all days are good – indeed many of them are incredibly difficult, she said, but the commitment “to keep showing up for my family” is what motivates her to keep fighting.
For Holbrook’s Judy and Russell Ross, the long lunch was a painfully poignant reminder of the loss of their daughter Catherine to bowel cancer in January 2019.
She was just 32.
Judy and Russell, together with their youngest daughter Claire, attended the fundraiser held at The Ten Mile, which raised a hugely successful $52,000 for the region’s cancer centre.
“It was a lovely day and while I hadn’t met Kellie before, she reminded me so much of Catherine,” Judy, 69, said.
“Listening to Kellie was hard and it brought back memories …”
Judy lovingly remembers her dynamic daughter as “an amazing human being”.
Catherine was diagnosed in 2014. She would marry the love of her life Jamie in a beautiful ceremony by the billabong at her parents’ Holbrook property during her treatment that year.
While most of Catherine’s treatment was carried out at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (the couple lived in Melbourne), Judy believes this region is incredibly lucky to have a facility such as the Albury-Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre.
Judy herself had breast cancer in 2011, and was able to receive her treatment locally at Wodonga.
“It’s just so important for individuals and families who don’t have to cover the extra expense of travel and accommodation, or be separated from their loved ones or the day-to-day familiarity of home,” she said.
The Holbrook Long White Lunch came about through local people working together with the Holbrook Landcare Network and the Foundation of Rural and Regional Renewal, said event co-ordinator Trish Shea.
More than 100 people attended the lunch, which featured the exquisite catering efforts of well-known local culinary creative Sarah King and music from Paris Zachariou.
But it was the community’s combined commitment to supporting the work of the local cancer centre and spreading the word of the importance of regular screening to save lives that remained the focus of the day, Ms Shea said.
Fit and healthy, and big on health and exercise, Judy says there was “no rhyme or reason” to her daughter’s death at such a young age.
And, in fact, Kellie has admitted, “I truly thought cancer, and particularly bowel cancer, was an old person’s disease.”
It’s something Catherine and Kellie shared – a determination and commitment to raising funds and awareness to prevent other lives being lost.
Catherine was a passionate participant in the Jodie Lee Foundation (JLF) treks – often joined by her mum – to help raise vital funds for bowel cancer prevention, and Kellie has since become an ambassador for JLF.
Kellie is under no illusion about the journey she has endured – nor what lies ahead.
“(But) I believe that if the cancer consumes my mind, it’ll be a hell of a lot harder to overcome the disease, so I try to have a positive outlook and mindset,” she has written.
It’s why she’s unashamedly on a mission for bowel cancer.
“It’s Australia’s second most common cause of cancer-related death, and — this is the statistic that blew my mind the most — the leading cancer killer in 25- to 34-year-olds.
“I want everyone to know that bowel cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t know or care how old you are. So you have to care. The message is simple.”
Regardless of your age, go and see your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms such as:
- blood in your poo
- changes in your bowel habits
- unexplained tiredness or weight loss
- stomach pains.
“Trust your gut. It could save your life,” Kellie urged.
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