rivers2cross

I am dedicating today’s journal post to my amazing friend Nicole Cooper x

It is always a joy to make friendships through my fundraising after Mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2012. Sadly Mum died in 2016, but these friendships and connections are something wonderful and positive to come out of this awful disease. One of the best friendships that has happened is with Nicole Cooper. Towards the end of 2018 I had a video chat with Nicole for her inclusion in my last book, The Record. She lives in Melbourne with her husband Tim and son Joshua, and although it was not possible to meet in person, I was grateful to modern technology for making her inclusion in the book possible. However, the following year Nicole and the family travelled to Europe and we were finally able to meet face-to-face in Trafalgar Square, which was just so nice and hopefully we will get to meet again someday soon either in Australia or the UK.

Nicole has stage 4 bowel cancer, and today this incredibly inspirational, brave and wonderful woman celebrates reaching five years since diagnosis, something that only around 7% of stage 4 bowel cancer patients achieve. Nicole’s initial diagnosis and prognosis was awful, and she was told that her cancer was inoperable and given the offer of palliative care. She chose to get a second opinion and grasp the small window of opportunity it gave her and has fought every step of the way since over the last five years. She has undergone numerous major surgeries, rounds of chemotherapy and is currently having a course of radiotherapy.

Nicole is a passionate advocate of raising bowel cancer awareness and making changes to the whole way this disease is diagnosed and improving outcomes for everyone, especially in younger patients where bowel cancer is still regarded as an older person’s disease. You are never too young. Recently, Nicole and her brother Sean have started a brand new brilliant podcast called The Impatient Podcast, which you can listen to on all the usual platforms, so I urge you to check it out. You won’t be disappointed…

Nicole remains an incredibly positive person. She is one of the nicest and kindest people you could wish to meet. Her wonderful @nicolecoopy Instagram account shows someone living with cancer. Please give her a follow and help to give her a bigger platform to continue her amazing and inspirational work that will help bowel cancer patients globally. The reason she endures all the treatment and pushes herself to and past the limit time and time again is for her husband Tim, son Joshua and her lovely family. Quite simply her life…  

I have made so many friendships through the bowel cancer fundraising which I began in 2012 after Mum had the initial operation on her bowel to remove the tumour. To finally get to meet Nicole in person was a real highlight for me, and I’m extremely grateful for all her support not just with my fundraising, but as a great friend x