We need your support to help us to continue to deliver services to people with cancer and their whānau.
Your donation today will ensure Cancer Society can be alongside those affected by cancer across Otago and Southland.
From free specialist advice and support for cancer patients and transport to treatment to accommodation when undergoing treatment far from home – your support means so much to cancer patients and their families.
You’re also funding breakthrough cancer research and prevention programme to protect our future generations.
Kiwis facing cancer today need your support – donate now to show how much you care.
Jo's story
Devastatingly, Jo McKenzie-McLean’s life was turned upside down with a stage 4 bowel cancer diagnosis.
“I was really worried about the kids and what I was going to say to them. I desperately needed to talk to someone. Thankfully my oncologist connected me up with Marie at the Cancer Society.”
“Every day, 71 New Zealanders will find out they have cancer. No one should face cancer alone. With the demand for the Cancer Society’s services increasing, support is needed more than ever”, says Dr Rachael Hart, chief executive of the Cancer Society, Otago and Southland Division.
Diagnosis
Jo went to her doctor for a scan but didn’t meet the criteria. Jo was crippled over in pain. Jo’s mum took her to another doctor, and Jo finally got her CT scan.
Waiting for a result was awful, but finally, the doctor said, “I’m sorry there is something wrong. You’ve got bowel cancer, and it’s spread to your liver.”
Jo was horrified: “Is it terminal?"
“It doesn’t look good,” her doctor replied.
Jo immediately needed to get a massive tumour that was blocking her bowel removed.
"I couldn’t stop thinking about my children and thinking I’m going to die. I was so consumed with fear for my kids.”
Treatment
Jo’s surgery was successful but complex. The tumour had broken through into blood vessels, lymph nodes and the bowel wall.
"I desperately needed to talk to someone. Thankfully my oncologist connected me up with Marie at the Cancer Society.
“Marie is amazing. We really connected and we’ve become close. When I’ve been upset, I get help from her. She was able to give me much-needed hope by reminding me there are many people who can beat cancer or live longer than expected."
Living with cancer
“My daughter said to me, 'You’re going to die!'
"I said, 'We know people who have survived cancer. We’re going to hit this with all the medicines we can and fight this'.”
From being fit, healthy, and outdoorsy to feeling fatigued and needing help to get dressed or being driven, cancer has hugely impacted Jo’s sense of identity. This is a very common but sadly overlooked effect of having cancer.
“I look in the mirror and start crying. I don’t recognise myself. I used to go bike riding with my kids and play ball, and now I can’t. I sit and fall asleep. It’s hard to stay positive. When my body is failing me. Cancer is just robbing me of time. I feel disconnected from the world.”
Jo felt overwhelmed by everything; “When you’re embroiled in this nightmare, the little things become so hard. Marie has made a huge difference in my life and has picked up that load for me. She listens to what I need and helps facilitate those things to happen – nothing is a problem for her, she just goes above and beyond.
“Stage four cancer, as I understand, is incurable: it’s in my lungs and bloodstream, on top of the tumours. I’m going to keep going with the different cancer medications for as long as I can.
"There are success stories. I’m living until I die.
“With the Cancer Society, you’ve got someone fighting in your corner. When your voice feels weak, when you’re at your worst, and when you’re feeling alone and need some company for conversation or more practical help.
“I’m extremely grateful for the support I’m receiving through the Cancer Society because it’s a lonely journey, and it has been made easier by family, friends, and Marie. I’m very grateful for her.”
When Jo was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, everything changed.
She went from being an active, healthy mother of two to barely being able to stand up and get dressed without help.
During treatment, she faced endless nausea, hair loss, dry skin, extreme fatigue – the list goes on. But along with her family and friends, nurse Marie from the Cancer Society stayed by her side, providing invaluable support every step of the way.
When you donate to the Cancer Society, you ensure support for thousands of New Zealanders like Jo. This Daffodil Day, don’t underestimate the impact your gift will make.
Will you stand by us as we fight for a future with less cancer?
Whether it is being transported to treatment, free cancer information or wrap-around support, the Cancer Society relies on people like you to keep its services running. For Jo, these services have meant she can focus on what matters – spending time with her family and staying strong for her kids.
"My daughter said to me you're going to die! I said we know people who have had cancer, and they've survived. We're going to hit this with all the medicines we can, and we're going to fight this."
"With the Cancer Society, you've got someone fighting in your corner when your voice feels weak and when you're at your worst. When you're feeling alone and having some company for conversation or more practical help."
Thank you for your incredible support.
