Cancer survivor marks anniversary
| Published date | 24 April 2024 |
| Author | David Haxton |
| Publication title | Kapiti News |
It was grim at times, both physically and mentally, but she persevered and tried to keep an optimistic approach, with a smile never far away.
The 24-year-old has never forgotten the numerous people and organisations that helped her, and continue to, over a long time.
With the milestone anniversary approaching, she’s doing various fundraising for cancer-related organisations.
Rhiannon has taken part in a Relay For Life, is planning a sausage sizzle outside her father’s WineCraft shop in Paraparaumu Beach, will be holding a bucket during CanTeen’s appeal day, and more.
“I hope to get involved with as many fundraising opportunities throughout the year as possible.”
Rhiannon was 14 when her life took an unexpected turn for the worse.
She had been getting various symptoms such as fatigue, depression, abnormal menstrual cycles, and random circular bruises on her legs.
Rhiannon expected to get a bit of a tan during a family holiday to Australia but didn’t, and then her legs became swollen.
Back home in Paraparaumu Beach she couldn’t lift a plate because she had no energy, and then started vomiting old blood.
A doctor felt she had the flu so she was given an anti-nausea injection but things got worse.
“I was still vomiting, my eyes were bleeding, I was yellow, and I couldn’t walk.”
She was taken by ambulance to Wellington Hospital and put into intensive care where tests revealed acute promyelocytic leukaemia, which is a rare sub-type of acute myeloid leukaemia.
“I was the first person on both sides of my family to get cancer. It was a random thing.”
Rhiannon was taken to Christchurch Hospital where she spent eight and a half months.
She had 70 intravenous doses of chemotherapy, 52 blood transfusions, 40 pills a day at certain times, and couldn’t walk for eight months because of necrosis in her legs.
Being with family and friends, community support, talking it through, and trying not to be alone too much, helped her try and maintain a positive mindset.
Before Rhiannon left to go home she was informed she was in remission which came as a suprise, she then found out she’d been in remission since...
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