Alison O, Bathurst Bowel Cancer Ball

“It all started at the pub, as many great ideas do.

We had not long found out that a very close friend of ours had been diagnosed, somewhat unexpectedly, with bowel cancer. She was only 35.

Megan was diagnosed on 24 November 2022 after over a year going to different doctors and being told she had an infection, a vitamin deficiency and many other incorrect diagnoses.

Megan almost gave up but continued to advocate for herself (thank God), until she finally found a doctor who would listen to her.

Back to the pub. Two of our friends (Nathan and Keryn) and myself were all feeling pretty useless and angry. We threw the idea around about hosting something ourselves to raise awareness.

Fast forward to October 2024. We were attending a friend’s funeral (unrelated) and had just found out that yet another friend, our third in the 2 years, had just been diagnosed with bowel cancer too. Enough was enough. We needed to do something. By this stage Megan had six rounds of chemo, then surgery, then another six rounds of chemo and in her own words, kicked cancer in the arse.

The Bathurst Bowel Cancer Ball was an incredible night. We had 72 people attend, and they all said they had a great time. Many of them shared their own stories of their connection with bowel cancer.

I truly believe holding this event, and especially having it as an annual fundraiser, has shone a light on a disease that has a lot of stigma surrounding it. We want to remove this stigma, get the message out there that this is not an old man’s disease, and please, advocate for yourself. You know when something is not right.” ~ Alison

A very big thank you to Alison, Nathan, Keryn, Megan and all the Bathurst Bowel Cancer Ball attendees, sponsors and supporters. Their awareness and fundraising efforts will have a direct impact, helping us to champion what matters most to people impacted by bowel cancer and empower everyone affected to live their best life.

To read more supporter stories and to find out how you too can help make real change happen by raising much-needed funds for Bowel Cancer Australia, check out the Get Involved page on our website.