The Epicentre Church community chaplain and social worker was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin's lymphoma in the midst of Australia’s first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
Her daughter Amelia was just five months old at the time, but Hannah’s life was completely changed from that moment, spending the next few months in cycles of chemotherapy treatment in Melbourne.
“I had been really sick and fainting a lot … but I was a new mum so I kind of put it down to that,” Hannah said.
After a chest X-ray in hospital, she received the dreaded call the next morning to deliver the news of her diagnosis.
Two days later, Hannah was in Melbourne for a week of test after test to find out exactly what was going on.
What followed was a regime of chemotherapy where Hannah would spend at least five days at time in hospital every three weeks to receive treatment.
“It was really difficult because treatment was in Melbourne, I couldn’t even get into Bendigo, and hospitals couldn’t have children in because of COVID,” Hannah said.
“Someone would drive three hours to drop me off at the door, I would go have chemo for five days and then they’d pick me up again.
“There was a lot of transition from that separation, but also juggling being a mum and having to rely on your community to help.”
During her second of four week-long stints in hospital, which Hannah said were isolating periods of time, she started her fundraising efforts for Lymphoma Australia.
“I thought, ‘I’ve got to make something of this, it’s not just going to be in vain’, so I sat in my room and set up a fundraiser,” she said.
“We raised about $4000 through community efforts. It was something that when people didn’t know how else to help, we could direct them somewhere.
“It helped me feel connected and make my time worthwhile.”
At the time Hannah didn’t personally know anyone her age who had cancer and found it difficult connecting with other young mums going through the same experience.
So, she started an Instagram page to reach people online, and to also spread the message of recovery.
“We often talk about when you have cancer, and doing treatment, not about after that; the new normal which my doctors keep reminding me, I have a new normal,” she said.
“It’s just adjusting to a whole new world. Whether it’s been a long time to get your diagnosis or a whirlwind like we had, you don’t necessarily know what you’re walking into and how your life is going to change.
“I’d just had my daughter and went from learning about motherhood to realising I would miss out on a lot of those ‘normals’.
“You grieve the life you had.”
Through the page, Hannah began connecting with people all around the world and heard from people who said it was good to find another young mum going through cancer.
It wasn’t just Hannah who was adapting to changes following her diagnosis, which also impacted her family — husband Chris, 11-year-old stepson Harley and two-year-old Amelia.
Hannah had to resign from her job and Chris became the primary carer — they had previously been looking at buying a house, but the deposit went toward Hannah’s treatment.
“Your family members’ lives change as well ... it’s a grief process for everyone,” Hannah said.
“It’s when you come back from treatment and everything returns to normal that you’re dealing with the process and grief, and that’s where counselling is needed.
“Cancer’s not done but you might not be engaged with the hospitals anymore, so where do you go for support?”
Hannah is an ambassador for the new Echuca Regional Health Cancer and Wellness Centre and shared her story as part of the Christmas fundraising appeal.
The centre will create more capacity for locals to access treatment closer to home, but also will provide other aspects of care through wellbeing programs.
“The beauty of the Cancer and Wellness Centre is even if I was getting treatment in Melbourne, I could walk in and get so much more support,” Hannah said.
“There’s so many opportunities through the centre so families can stay local, so families can thrive while it’s hard.
“There’s no better time to give than Christmas; it’d be great if the community could get behind the Christmas appeal and help the programs and facilities planned for the centre to happen.”
Hannah is in remission now and has four-monthly CT scans and specialist appointments.
“It’s never a finished thing,” she said.
“Even though you’re in remission, cancer doesn’t stop — which is something I didn’t realise until we experienced it.”
Echuca Regional Health needs to raise $1.3 million to complete the Cancer and Wellness Centre being built on the corner of Service and Haverfield Sts, Echuca.
To donate, visit erh.org.au/cancerandwellness or contact the fundraising co-ordinator on (03) 5485 5087 or email cancerandwellness@erh.org.au
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