Love You Nel

They often say that life can be perfect one moment, and turned on its head the next! I guess for my sis and our family this saying is very much true.

Let me tell you a bit about how we reached this point...

My big sister, Chanel Clarke (Drake), met the love of her life on a night out in Melbourne, simply put; it was love at first sight. Literally just like in the movies, Nel knew Farron was the one she wanted to spend forever with. In 2010, Nel and Farron moved home to NZ and began setting up their lives in Otorohanga. The following year they were blessed with twin girls, Emma and Eden, miracle babies that profoundly changed their lives. In 2013 they got married at Te Keeti Marae, surrounded by family and friends. 2014 saw them blessed again with their third bubba, Robert John, otherwise known as Robbie Rooster!

However, in April 2014 when Nel had just finished breastfeeding and her milk was starting to dry up, a single moment was about to change everything.

Nel felt a lump in her left breast but it didn’t actually occur to her that it could be cancer, as it didn’t seem possible at her young age of 34. She thought it must have been her milk drying up and so she carried on with her busy life of raising three young kiddies. It was not until late November when Farron noticed the lump; surprised that it had not gone, and concerned as it was larger in size, that Nel decided to head off to the doctors to get it all checked out. Reassuringly, she told us that it was more than likely just a cyst or blocked duct and felt confident that there was no need to worry.

Despite her positive attitude, it was apparent straight away that things looked suspicious and she was immediately referred for an MRI. On December 19th 2014 Nel was diagnosed with Grade 2 Ductal Breast Cancer.

Three days later Nel had her first appointment with the oncologist, and the following day her first round of chemo began. The plan was simple; get in, hit it hard, have surgery, hit it again and recover. It would be a life changing 6 months, but it was curable and that is all you hold onto. After the initial shock, tears and anger passed, the new focus became one of total positive energy. I mean your mind is a powerful thing and when you focus your attention on what’s truly important, then you begin to realise that you can get through even the toughest of situations.

Nelly was scheduled for a routine full body MRI on the 30th December, and was told that there was only a very low risk that the cancer would of spread. We had full confidence that it wasn’t possible for it to get any worse, I mean it’s my sister? Things like this just don’t happen to your own family, right? I guess that’s why we weren’t prepared for what was to follow. It was confirmed that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, and that there also appeared concerning shadings in her spine and liver (that was the moment where I physically felt like someone had punched me so hard that I couldn’t breathe).

It still amazes me to this day how positive my Sis is, even when she has received news as bad as it gets, she still manages to find a way to push through. I guess that is when something internal takes over and you focus on what most important to you, for Nel it’s her three incredible kids and husband she goes homes to.

Without being too biased I can easily say that my sister, hands down, is one of the most loving, selfless women on this planet; unconditionally devoted to her gorgeous wee family.

When you’re given a timeframe on your life, everything and nothing is the same and so I wish to do what any sister would do for their own; I want to give my sis the things she could only dream to be true.

I want her to be free of the financial burden and stress that this disease causes, so that her husband can be by her side through the really tough times ahead.

I want them to finally go on their honeymoon, and to have the opportunity to go for long weekends as a family, to create lasting memories with their three young kids.

For each and every one of you out there supporting Nel in her big fight, saying thank-you is not merely enough, but on behalf of Nel, Farron and our entire extended family it truly does mean the world to know how much love and support is out there in the community. Every dollar raised is truly appreciated and it really will make a big difference to the life of Nel and her beautiful family.

I hope this story touches on the same love you have for your sister and know that in my position you would try and do the same.