Raising money for Nicola Whistler-Smith's cancer journey.

My younger sister, Nicola Smith has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The cancer has spread to multiple lymph nodes under her arm, as well as into the bone in her spine. Her Oncologist is quietly confident that the cancer in her breast and lymph nodes is the type of cancer that should respond well to chemo. After this, it's possibily a masectomy, followed up with radiation.

The cancer in her spine will require treatment for the rest of her life, with a permanent portocath being placed. She will have ongoing treatment for this every 3 weeks.

In order for Nic to get the tests she needed as fast as possible (mammogram, biopsy, PET CT scan and an MRI), her care has been private. She will be moving to the public health care system in order to start chemo on Thursday 24th of November.

While her care should be covered under the health care system, so many people have asked me to set up a Givealittle page for her and her husband Craig and their two sons.

To say this has blindsided us would be an understatement. Nic is a fit and healthy 36 year old, with no symptoms whatsoever. It was only days before her cancer diagnoses, we were celebrating her baby Elliott's 1st birthday.

Thank you so much for all the love and support we have received over the last couple of weeks. We are also so incredibly grateful that Nic and Craig made the decision to move their young family from Napier up to Matakana earlier this year - it's so much easier to have them close.