Lizzy Sargeant, 62, and husband Mark were excited to depart on an overseas holiday to London in June last year. Just two days into their holiday, Lizzie felt a lump in her breast.
Six week later, after landing back in Sydney, Lizzy visited her doctor and had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy.
“They detected the lump I felt, and they also detected a second lump. The biopsy confirmed the larger lump was cancerous,” says Lizzy. The diagnosis was Stage 3 triple negative breast cancer. “When I got the news from my GP, it sort of threw me because having been pretty healthy all my life, it was a shock.”
Meeting McGrath Breast Care Nurse Kim
Lizzy started chemotherapy and met her McGrath Breast Cancer Nurse Kim Wright at her first treatment.
“The first day of my chemotherapy, I met Kim. She said you’ll probably be here for four hours,” says Lizzy. “The first hour was an information session with my husband about everything that was going to happen.
“Kim is very calm and the person you can ring and cry to. Always helpful, so knowledgeable and answers so many questions.”
Kim remembers that first meeting.
“Lizzy said she felt scared about what was ahead with treatment and her cancer diagnosis. I was able to explain during our first conversation how I could support her and her family as a McGrath Breast Care Nurse and what would occur with her initial consult,” she says.
“I met with her face to face and via phone throughout treatments, providing information about each stage of her chemotherapy and immunotherapy appointments, oncology reviews then surgery and radiotherapy. I referred her to our psychosocial team, lymphoedema service and the Breast Care Nurse service where she had her surgery, so she had the resources and support to meet her physical and emotional needs.”
Laps 4 Lizzy
Following her diagnosis, Lizzy’s family rallied around her and supported her every step of the way. Lizzy’s 28-year-old daughter Michaela is a personal trainer and wanted to show appreciation to the McGrath Foundation for the support her mum had received.
Michaela and her two friends Luke and Lara from the gym, decided to do a fundraiser called “Laps4Lizzy” and each swim 21kms in 7 hours.
“Luke said ‘how about we do a 21km swim and we’ll try and do it in 7 hours, because 1 in 7 women develop breast cancer in their lifetime’,” says Lizzy. “Everyone got involved and swam laps for the McGrath Foundation, came to cheer and support the swimmers. It was such a wonderful day. People were incredibly generous.”
Lizzy is a much-loved member and volunteer of the Wanda Surf Life Saving Club, who also got behind the event.
“Members of the Surf Lifesaving Club gave up their weekends to take Santa photos for the public and all funds raised went into the ‘pot’ for the Laps4Lizzy fundraiser. They raised $1,4327.28 from taking Santa photos. This helped the total amount of $36,870.00 for the McGrath Foundation.”
The Wanda Surf Lifesaving Club has a history of supporting the McGrath Foundation.
“In 2007, Wanda Surf Lifesaving Club members Jock and Mel Campbell established the Jane McGrath Classic fun run in honour of Jane McGrath and to support her in the important work she and Glenn had started at the McGrath Foundation,” explains Lizzy. “The race raises funds and awareness for the McGrath Foundation as I am a long-term member of the club, they asked me to fire the gun for the start of the race. It was a great day.”
