A firefighter’s family member needs your help...

Shauna has undergone a number of treatments including, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, mastectomy and radiotherapy . The cancer has metastasised to the brain resulting in surgery and stereotactic radiation to remove several tumours in 2018, 2020 and again in 2022.

Most recently Shauna underwent partial brain radiation to again suppress metastasis to the brain . After follow up scans the brain tumours are showing as stable however lesions have now appeared in the liver and abdominal area.

After being told there is nothing more to offer, Shauna self-funded Foundation One testing where a tumour biopsy is sent to Boston in the USA which looks for mutations in the DNA to identify targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and clinical trial options. The result of this showing Keytruda as an immunotherapy drug option.

Shauna had to leave her employment in 2018 and has no entitlement to any government support. Shauna and her partner have been surviving on one wage to date and are now faced with self-funding potentially lifesaving treatment.

10-20% of all breast cancers are classified as triple negative. This type of breast cancer tends to affect younger women and is more aggressive than other forms of breast cancer with limited treatment options. Shauna hopes that successful treatment will enable Medsafe and Pharmac to consider this drug as a first line treatment for triple negative breast cancer as well as those who become metastatic.