When Stacee's mum Sue was diagnosed with ovarian and uterine cancer, Stacee felt compelled to do something. What started as a simple gesture to shave her head in solidarity, soon turned into a heartwarming community fundraising effort, raising over $11,000.
A shocking double cancer diagnosis
Sue was lucky that her cancer was discovered by chance.
Stacee recalls that her mum "had been experiencing stomach pain and she had said it felt like her stomach was going to fall out of her."
Sue was eventually convinced to visit urgent care, where she was referred to the emergency department with suspected appendicitis. After they ruled this out, they did a CT scan which revealed a mass on her ovary. The diagnosis came back as stage one uterine cancer and stage two ovarian cancer.
"What is most mind-blowing is that the pain she felt was unrelated to the cancer and disappeared two days later. If she hadn't gone to get checked, we may have experienced a completely different outcome," Stacee shares.
A special moment in solidarity with her mum
Initially, Stacee intended to shave her head to ensure her mum didn't feel alone while losing her hair due to chemotherapy. However, after seeing the support her mum received from Cancer Council WA, Stacee decided to raise money as well, wanting to help others facing a cancer diagnosis.
Stacee organised her head-shaving fundraiser at Coast Port Beach, where friends, family and colleagues came together, wearing colourful wigs to show their support.
Stacee shares that the event highlight of the day was a hair-cutting auction, where guests bid to cut sections of hair, raising an additional $450.
"Mum was the first to cut off a piece. She was overcome with emotion and did not want to cut off my 'beautiful hair'-but as soon as she did, she was filled with joy," she said.
To Stacee's amazement, they quickly surpassed her initial fundraising goal.
"We started with $2k… then $3k… then $5k… then ultimately $10k," she recalled. By the end, 141 donations contributed to the remarkable $11,000 total.
Support for others facing cancer
"The funds raised will help support cancer patients and their families, ensuring they receive the same level of care and comfort that my mum experienced," Stacee said.
I hope it can contribute to funding research as well as providing important services and support to future cancer patients and their families.
For anyone considering organising their own fundraiser, Stacee says "Just do it. By creating and sharing my fundraiser, it got Mum's story out there, helped empower her, and removed the stigma of feeling like 'a cancer patient."
Stacee also shared how the experience has strengthened her relationship with her mother. "It has been an amazing bonding experience between myself and mum. I have never felt closer to her than I do right now - it is so special."
