Your Stories

Horsham woman Mary-Anne ‘Daisy’ Horgan put off making a breast screen appointment for six months as she was busy taking care of everyone else around her. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 and encourages other women to look after their health.

Aboriginal Health Coordinator Deb Mellett was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. She encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to have a regular breast screen. 

Keilor Downs breast cancer survivor Jean Tavares encourages all women not to be complacent about their health. She was first diagnosed in 1997 and has since fought three recurrences, in 2000, 2009 and 2011.

As Michele Clifton sat in a waiting room filled with women, she wondered which unlucky one would be diagnosed with breast cancer. Little did she know it would be her. In July 2012, the Broadmeadows woman was diagnosed with the disease after a routine breast screen. 

Due to a busy full time work schedule, Kerri Welsh was about to put off her appointment for a second time, until she was told about an after-hours BreastScreen clinic at Moonee Ponds. Kerri was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. She encourages other women not to be complacent about prioritising their health. 

Parkdale woman Val Gaskell has survived breast cancer twice following a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She encourages women who don’t have a regular breast screen to value their life and avoid ‘being an ostrich’.

Vivienne Harkness had put off having a mammogram for a few years when a letter with the offer of a free plant finally motivated her to book in. She was diagnosed with breast cancer twice and later found out she had the BRCA2 gene, a hereditary gene that increases the risk of cancer.