Olga is a mother of three who was diagnosed with a rare triple-negative breast cancer in May this year.
"One night, I thought I was having a heart attack because I felt pain in my left breast. I noticed a lump and couldn’t sleep that night. The next day, I went for a breast screening and after some tests I was asked to come back for further investigations,” Olga recalls.
“I was hoping it wasn’t cancer, but I knew the news was not going to be good. My fears were confirmed when the diagnosis came back as an aggressive form of triple-negative breast cancer. I was absolutely devastated, and my thoughts went immediately to my children.”
Mummy’s Wish exists to provide practical support to mums with young children, like Olga, who have received the life-altering news of a cancer diagnosis. We help mums manage the distressing burden of cancer by offering information and resources including care packs, recordable comfort bears, educational books, counselling sessions, and financial support.
“Having moved to Australia in 2013, we had a small support network and huge financial challenges. My two younger daughters, Mila (10) and Anna (5), found my diagnosis and subsequent exhaustion and illness especially hard to understand,” Olga continues.
“The Mummy’s Wish comfort teddy bears really helped my daughters sleep better, and the special book we received was so great at helping me to better answer all of the questions from Anna, who kept asking me where my hair had gone!”
“Finding Mummy’s Wish was such a relief. Just knowing there was a free and easy-to-access program available that truly understood the reality of balancing motherhood and cancer treatment, made such a difference," says Olga.
"Mummy’s Wish eases the burdens that aren’t always visible but are deeply felt. They helped me navigate not only the medical side of my journey, but also the challenge of keeping my family grounded.
“I feel fortunate to live in Australia and to have found Mummy’s Wish. I hope that every country has similar supports available to help mums of young children going through cancer." Olga said.
