Seeking support to getcancer patient home
by Bonnie Collings
Local couple Tahlia and Brad Paterson are seeking support from the community to help them move to Western Australia so Tahlia can live the rest of her life surrounded by family.
After a nine year cancer journey, 33-year-old Tahlia was diagnosed with stage four terminal bone cancer 18-months ago and wants to return to her home state of Western Australia.
With the cost of cancer treatment paired with the increasing cost of living, Tahlia and Brad launched a GoFundMe page to help make their cross-country journey possible.
"For us to save money to get back to Western Australia, it's going to take years," Tahlia said. "We can only just survive at the moment. We're living, but we're not really living, we're just existing at this point."
The idea to start a GoFundMe page was born out of a conversation with a hospital social worker.
"I didn't even think of the idea until a social worker at the hospital mentioned it," Tahlia said.
"In the past people have told me to make (a GoFundMe page) but I didn't feel right making it. I wanted us to get there on our own hard work, but I just don't know what we're going to do anymore. I just don't know how we're ever going to afford to move interstate."
Tahlia's cancer journey began when she was diagnosed with stage three, aggressive breast cancer at 25 years old.
Since then, Tahlia has endured lymph node cancer, a foot tumour, more than 10 surgeries, rounds of chemotherapy and radiation and recently a diagnosis of stage four terminal bone cancer.
Throughout it all, Tahlia has continued to work as a chef, only taking time off work when treatment left her unwell and exhausted.
"I've never been into remission in eight years, and I won't go into remission, that's not an option for me," Tahlia said.
With the time she has left, Tahlia's wish is to return home to Western Australia and be with her grandparents and other family.
"I grew up in Western Australia, I was born there," she said. "I love swimming and want to be at the beach." The warmer weather also would help ease some of Tahlia's pain.
"Now that I have bone cancer, when it's really cold I can barely walk and my bones hurt a lot more," she explained.
For more information about Tahlia's story and to donate to the GoFundMe page, visit https://gofund.me/738c91dcc
