Cancer Council NSW's partnership with Sydney Football Club is especially meaningful for goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares. Just before Christmas in 2021, Harrison's mum Rossana was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, a cancerous tumour that forms on the kidney.
To usher in our partnership with Sydney FC for the 2024/25 A-Leagues season, we spoke with Harrison about his mum's experience with cancer and why it's important to him to raise awareness about cancer.
An unexpected cancer diagnosis just before Christmas
Harrison remembers the time of Rossana's cancer diagnosis very clearly.
"It was a complete fluke that we found it," Harrison says.
"I had been playing overseas and came back home for the first time in four years. We were having a welcome home party and she fell while dancing, breaking a rib. When they did the imaging, they found the cancer."
Rossana needed to urgently have half of her kidney removed and tests run to see if the cancer had spread.
Harrison remembers the experience being incredibly stressful and difficult.
"Her surgery was scheduled during the four-week period I was home, but the surgeon got COVID, which delayed it," Harrison says. "The stress was overwhelming. My pre-season was starting overseas, and mum insisted I go, which was incredibly hard for me".
Rossana's recovery changed the direction of Harrison's career
Thankfully for Rossana, the cancer hadn't spread, and the surgery was successful. She now gets tests done every 12 months, which have all been clear to this point.
For Harrison, the close-to-home experience was the first time he truly faced the concept of his parents' mortality. "I began to plan how I could bring my career back to Australia. I just wanted to be closer to home."
According to Harrison, the experience changed his mum's life for the better: "She became extremely driven, community-oriented, and has a newfound obsession with playing pickleball. I'm so proud of her, she hasn't looked back since."
Rossana also began fundraising for Cancer Council, recently raising around $4,000 for Australia's Biggest Morning Tea. Through her experience, Rossana found significant assistance through Cancer Council's online information and resources about treatment options and cancer prevention strategies.
Partnering to raise awareness for others
For a professional footballer in peak physical condition, seeing his mother and other professional footballers affected by cancer made Harrison aware that this can happen to anyone, regardless of age or health.
"When it hits close to home, it hits different. Mum was lucky that her cancer was detected early, and her prognosis was excellent. I take inspiration from the fact she's used it as a springboard to live a more fulfilling life," Harrison says.
This A-Leagues season, we're proud to stand alongside Harrison, Rossana and Sydney FC to raise awareness about cancer.
Together, it's all of us against cancer.
