Monique M’s story

I’m a 38-year-old mum of three, and in October 2024, my life changed in a way I never saw coming.

We had just sold our house, bought a caravan, and planned a year-long adventure around Australia with our kids. But then I noticed blood in my stool. It lasted a few weeks, so I saw my GP. He was amazing — ran tests, and even though everything came back clear, he still encouraged me to get a colonoscopy. Public wait times were 12 months, so I followed my gut and paid privately.

That decision saved my life.

After the colonoscopy, I heard the words no one expects at 38: ‘You have bowel cancer.’

Since then, I’ve been through six rounds of chemo, major bowel surgery, eight days in hospital, a stoma and now I’m back doing more chemo before another surgery. It’s been hard — especially being away from my husband and kids — but I’d do it all again to be here for them.

Please, don’t ignore the signs. Bowel cancer doesn’t care about age. You’re never too young. If something feels off, push for answers. Go with your gut — it might just save your life.

🙏 And to my medical team — thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.

My one piece of advice:

Please, don’t ignore the signs. Bowel cancer doesn’t care about age. You’re never too young. If something feels off, push for answers. Go with your gut — it might just save you