Strong, Brave and Beautiful – Sarah’s Story
On the 18th of March 2025, 33 year old local mum Sarah Ackerly walked into the Wodonga Emergency Department expecting answers for sudden, severe pain. She left with her world changed forever.
Sarah works in HR at the SS&A and is mum to a vibrant 4 year old daughter. That morning, she developed intense pain that made it difficult to carry out her normal daily activities. She left work early, and with gentle encouragement from her support network, she made the decision to go to the emergency department.
After arriving, Sarah had routine blood tests. When the results came back, nurses asked if she knew she was anaemic. Confused, Sarah explained she had low iron but had never been told she was anaemic. A second blood draw showed her levels had dropped even further, prompting concern. An ultrasound revealed nothing unusual, but as her levels continued to fall, doctors ordered an MRI to search for the cause of both the pain and her declining blood counts.
When the MRI results returned, the doctor delivered news no one is ever prepared to hear. The scan showed a 5cm lesion on her colon, and it was cancer. Alone in the hospital, Sarah felt shocked and overwhelmed. Sarah said “When I was laying there hearing those words I cried I let it all out until there was no more tears to cry. I have to be positive, I have to stay strong else I won’t get through it.”
That’s when she asked the doctor to contact her loved ones and within just hours of walking out of work in pain, her life had changed in an instant.
The next morning, 19th March, Sarah underwent a colonoscopy. A biopsy was taken, and she was sent home to be with her family. On the 1st of April, she was admitted for surgery to remove the lesion the following day. Her surgeon successfully removed the tumour along with a portion of her colon and 28 lymph nodes. Thankfully, only four of those lymph nodes contained cancer cells.
Throughout these whirlwind weeks, Sarah was held up by an incredible community. Her family travelled to Albury to care for her and her daughter. Friends rallied around her. A close friend who is also a local nurse, played a vital role in her recovery, encouraging her to move after surgery and helping her regain strength.
With a treatment plan in place, Sarah returned for her third surgery on the 24th of April to have a port inserted in preparation for chemotherapy. On the 6th of May, she began her 12 rounds of treatment. Months later, her PET scan came back clear, and Sarah was officially cancer free. Sarah expressed “All my nurses and doctors have become my lifelong friends, my friends have become my family and my whole family have a very special place in my heart. They are my Village, my Chemo Crew. I don’t think I would have gotten through this chapter, but I will be forever grateful for every one of them.”
On the 9th of November, only a short time after completing 100 Days of chemotherapy, Sarah wanted to give back to the community that had supported her and give back to herself. She signed up for the 5km Sunshine Walk to support local cancer services. With determination and encouragement from her daughter and friends, Sarah completed the walk. As she approached the final stretch, she doubted she could reach the finish line. Sarah Stated “The last kilometre was tough, more mentally than physically, even though I was in a lot of pain, pushing a bike and a toddler. When I asked little Miss if I could ride her bike and she push me, she just laughed and said oh “Mum, keeping going, you can do it” and it’s what got me through to that finishing line.”
Today, Sarah shares an important message: she urges women especially mothers who often put others first, to put themselves first when it comes to their health. If something feels wrong, get checked.
