Melissa Hann of Saratoga was enjoying a face-paced life criss-crossing the globe as a flight attendant when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 at the age of 28.
“It certainly wasn’t what I expected at that age,” Hann said.
“I was jumping into the shower when I felt an immense pain in my breast and discovered a big lump.
“I had self examined two weeks earlier and found nothing.
“I knew instantly in my heart it was cancer.”
Due to fly out for Los Angeles the following day, Hann made an appointment to see her doctor on her return a week later.
“I was told that due to my age it was probably a cyst, but tests revealed a very aggressive tumour on the chest wall,” she said.
“I had to have a partial mastectomy and a week after that more tissue was removed.
“I then had chemotherapy and radiation treatment for six months.”
Hann is now cancer free but continues to have mammograms and ultrasounds every year.
She also encourages other women to regularly check their breasts.
On October 12 Hann hosted a pink ribbon breakfast to raise funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) and is urging Coasties to get behind the Foundation’s latest campaign to raise much-needed funds for breast cancer research.
“Not everyone can host a breakfast to raise funds – but this new #BREASTfast campaign is something everyone can do,” she said.
With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NBCF and event partner David Jones are encouraging Australians to share an image of their breakfast and donate the cost of that breakfast to NBCF.
Ambassador for the campaign is MasterChef favourite and two-time breast cancer survivor, Minoli De Silva.
“As a breast cancer survivor, I cannot stress enough the importance and value of funding breast cancer research.”
Minoli De Silva
“Personally, fuelling my mind and body with good food is so important, not just when I was undergoing breast cancer treatment, but as a general philosophy for health and wellbeing.
“That’s why I feel so passionate about #BREASTfast and helping raise the community’s awareness of the NBCF as the peak not-for-profit body funding breast cancer research in Australia.”
Since 1994, NBCF has provided around $200M of funding to nearly 600 research projects, and in that time, death rates from breast cancer in Australia have reduced by 43 per cent.
NBCF Chief Executive Officer, Cleola Anderiesz, said the campaign aims to raise awareness of the impact of breast cancer in Australia and the importance of funding pioneering breast cancer research to achieve the Foundation’s vision of zero deaths from breast cancer.
“In 2022, more than 20,000 Australians will be diagnosed with breast cancer and over 3,200 people will die from this disease,” Anderiesz said.
“Each death is one death too many, and research is critical to better understand, prevent, detect and treat breast cancer and ultimately end deaths from breast cancer.”
Whether it’s the price of a morning coffee, avocado and eggs, a splurge on pancakes or a big, cooked family breakfast, the coast of each breakfast can help aid vital research.
Find out how to get involved at www.breastfast.org.au.
To celebrate 28 years of partnership with NBCF, David Jones will donate $1 from the sale of selected full-priced bras in store and online during October as well as hosting a BREASTfast event at the David Jones Elizabeth St flagship store.
Terry Collins