A person with a lived experience, Papua New Guinea

In 2014, cancer took my father. His tumour was found in the ampulla of Vater — a place I had never heard of, but one that would change my life forever.

In 2018, cancer came back. This time, it took my sister. She had a gynaecological cancer that was discovered too late. By then, I believed our family had suffered enough.

But in 2021, cancer came for me. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, my world truly turned upside down. I was a single mother of six. A teacher. A community leader. Suddenly, I was also a patient. Surgeries. Chemotherapy. Scars. Fear. Grief layered on grief. But I refused to let cancer define the ending of my story.

It is now 2026. I am still here. I carry the memory of my father. I honour the life of my sister. And I stand as proof that survival is possible. Cancer turned my world upside down — but it did not break me.

Today, I stand for early detection. For support. For hope. Because every story matters. And every life is worth fighting for.

This story was published with the consent of Papua New Guinea Cancer Foundation Incorporated.