For me, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on the incredible women who have shaped my life.
As many of you know, I started the publication during COVID, largely in response to the void left when border closures severely impacted my international student business. Around the same time, I received the heartbreaking news that my favourite aunty, Valerie, had been diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease, and given how late it was detected, I wasn’t sure she would live to see the first edition of what was then the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Post. The first edition was dedicated to her, and I’m grateful that she was able to see not just the first, but the second edition as well.
Launching the publication gave me a renewed sense of focus and purpose. It also allowed me to connect with the community and find ways to celebrate the unsung heroes among us.
One such hero is Karen Humphries, our Cholangio Queen, whom we recently wrote about again. Karen has shown incredible bravery in sharing her cancer journey with Cholangiocarcinoma, offering guidance and hope to those who may face a similar path in the years ahead. She is a passionate advocate for cancer survivorship and is raising awareness about this lesser known, yet increasingly prevalent, disease.
This column is dedicated to my aunty Valerie, Karen, and my daughter, Georgia, in celebration of International Women’s Day.