Natalie D’s story

After the birth of my daughter, the persistent headaches and fatigue didn’t subside. A visit to my GP led to a diagnosis of anaemia, and after three iron infusions, further investigation was warranted. A colonoscopy revealed a 5cm tumour in my bowel. Initial scans suggested spots on my liver, and I was told to prepare for a Stage 4 diagnosis.

Thankfully, when the tumour – along with my appendix and a third of my bowel – was removed, there was no spread to my liver, and subsequent pathology confirmed a Stage 2 diagnosis, requiring no further treatment. Still, after facing a possible Stage 4 diagnosis with a toddler in tow, I knew I wasn’t done fighting.

This wasn’t the end of the story. I wasn’t the first in my family to face bowel cancer – my grandfather had passed away from it seven years earlier, and my mother was diagnosed just a year after me. This led me to pursue genetic counselling to explore a potential hereditary link, but no significant genetic markers were found.

Through this process, I was connected with A.Prof. Daniel Buchanan, head of the Colorectal Oncogenomics Lab at the University of Melbourne. Since then, I have been deeply involved as a lived experience advocate, working to advance research into both genetic and non-genetic factors contributing to familial bowel cancer. A key focus of this work is understanding the alarming rise of early-onset bowel cancer, which is becoming an increasing health risk for individuals under 45.

I am driven by a personal mission – to ensure my daughter does not face the same diagnosis and to help young people gain access to early detection and treatment options. Together, we can kick cancer’s butt!

My one piece of advice:

Don’t Google! Your own experience and diagnosis is unique!