Member Since:
20 August 2008
Posts: 16

Hi there,

My sister Jackie and I have found it so hard to lose our Mother.  She was the centre of our family, and to see her suffer and then have to leave was unbearable.  But, it does become bearable, and through things like Silver Ribbon, we can physically do something to keep her alive.  I have had some great email buddies to just tap out my thoughts to as things progressed with our grieving, and that is so helpful.  Please use this forum to share your thoughts and cares, and to celebrate good news on your Mum/Sister/Friends etc, progress - good things happen too!  Rachel

Member Since:
31 July 2007
Posts: 1

I knew your mother many years ago and was very sorry to hear of her death, especially from ovarian cancer.  I am now a gynaecologist and as part of my work have the privilege of dealing with women with malignancies of many types, including ovarian cancer.  I am delighted to know that there is now somewhere that I can tell them to go for information and contact that is local and congratulate you and your sister for the work you have done in your mother's memory to set this up.  Keep up the good work and if I can help in this then please let me know

Member Since:
1 August 2007
Posts: 1

Hi Rachel and Jackie,

I wanted to firstly congratulate you both on being so determined and successfully founding New Zealand's only consumer based organisation speficially for Ovarian Cancer.  My name is Karen Livingstone and my sister Nicole Livingstone and I have walked a similar journey, in co- founding the National Ovarian Cancer Network in Australia. We incorporated in July 2001, the same month we lost our beloved mother Elise and 2 years before our aunt would also pass. 

To lose your mother is to loose part of your soul.  But after 6 years I now find it comforting to look in the miror everyday and see my mother looking back!  My mother lives on.

In the 6 years that we have been in existance there has been much personal satisfaction and sacrifice to achieve our goals, but at the end of the day we know we have saved lives - women have told us so.  There is nothing more rewarding than receiving a letter of thanks and knowing that you have made a real difference.   

I have met the most amazing women on this journey and am humbled from their stories and learn from them everyday.  I know that for the women already diagnosed I can not change their journey but I can love and support them through it. 

As a BRCA 2 positive women, my sister and I are also determined to see that our mother's legacy of leaving her blood to be tested so that we could have a different fate to her is fulfilled.

It is my hope that the women of New Zealand embrace the importance of this cause and support your organisation in achieving their goals.  To Rachel and Jackie, I applaude your efforts and will be here to support you in any way I am able.

Kindest regards

Karen Livingstone - OvCa Australia

Member Since:
20 August 2008
Posts: 16

It is so great to see some postings on the site already! 

Vicki, I do know who you are, and I am thrilled that you are in a position to assist.  That is great news for us and for your patients.  Thank you for joining the Foundation, and we will certainly ask your expertise as we grow.  Something I am keen to do is get the NZ statistics out there for our women.

Karen, thank you!  What a lovely posting, and yes, we are on the same path.  When we meet next week in Melbourne (what a great coincidence) I will talk with you about BRCA 2 as I believe we might need a good reference for this on the site - as you say, to save lives.  Jackie and I are lucky in that as far as we understand, Mum was not BRCA 1 or 2, and therefore we are not.

Thanks Karen and Vicki for starting things off.  It will take a while for our community to grow, but it will.

Rachel

Member Since:
20 August 2008
Posts: 16

Well its Christmas 2008, and we have a great team at SRF. Today I cleared my P O Box and had my gift from my sister, Jackie for Christmas. In the envelope, was a handful of yellow rose petals that I could smell as soon as I opened it. They are from the rose bush at Mum's grave. A lovely thing to receive, but a very sad thing too. A sudden ache of loss that I most often can avoid by being busy. And a reminder, of why we are all here, on this website, working hard, raising funds, building networks and teams, to make a difference (a cliche but so true) for all women and their loved ones, colleagues, community, to support and to save lives with early detection. Merry Christmas.

Member Since:
25 August 2009
Posts: 1

It is nice to see that life does go on after loosing your mother. Mine is currently batting with Ovarian cancer and Im only 18. Its so nice to have people and sites like this that can understand the pain and what life is life.