I joined Canteen in 2020 after my dad relapsed and passed away from central nervous system lymphoma. His first diagnosis came in 2018, during my first year of university. I put my studies on hold to care for him and support my two younger sisters, while my mum and I stood by his side through every stage of treatment. Those years were incredibly challenging. I was just beginning to figure out who I was as a young adult while also trying to balance university, care for my family, and navigating my dad’s diagnosis.
When a social worker at my dad’s hospital told me about Canteen, I couldn’t believe a service like this even existed. I had always been used to carrying things on my own, so reaching out felt unfamiliar. After my dad passed away in early 2020, just before lockdown, I found myself stuck at home with my grief and nowhere to go. During this time, Canteen became a source of comfort and understanding I didn’t know I needed. Through the online services, I felt heard and supported. For the first time, I didn’t feel alone in my grief or like I had to keep putting on a brave face. Looking back, I know I couldn’t have made it through those years of loss and young adulthood, let alone my degree, without the community, compassion and connection I found at Canteen.
Caring for my younger sisters and my mum showed me how deeply cancer affects an entire family, not just the person diagnosed. That experience shaped my passion for youth mental health and inspired me to give back as a peer mentor, program mentor and guest speaker in my community. My hope in leadership has always been to share my story so that other young people feel less alone and know that support is out there for them.
Today, I work in clinical trials at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and I am building a career dedicated to supporting children and young people. As a Member Director, I aim to bring my lived experience, youth advocacy, and perspective to the Board. I feel honoured to give back to an organisation that walked beside me through my hardest years and to help ensure young people feel supported, understood and empowered when cancer crashes into their world.
