Carrie Hobson - Unicorn Foundation NZ

My name is Carrie Hobson and in April this year I have decided to join the Unicorn Riders riding the length of the North Island in order to raise money to establish a special type of scan called the NET scan in New Zealand. I am an amateur rider but have decided to push myself outside my comfort zone in order to raise money for the Unicorn Foundation NZ in the hope of enabling others to have a better future when given a grave diagnosis.

I know first-hand what it’s like to have to deal with a diagnosis like metastatic cancer. I will never forget the day my husband Malcolm phoned me at work to say I needed to come to the hospital urgently. It was not good news. He had had an ultrasound scan which showed a mass in his pancreas and metastases all through his liver. It did not look good. He was 49 years old. After four very long days he was diagnosed with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour which had a slightly better outlook than the more common pancreatic cancers. It was still a grave prognosis. There was however, a small glimmer of hope that he may be a suitable patient for PRRT (peptide receptor radio nuclide therapy) offered in Australia.

We tried to take one day at a time, in fact, one hour at a time. It was thanks to the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre, the Canopy Cancer team in New Zealand, and a special type of CT scan called a Gatate Pet CT or “The Net Scan” that helped us to understand whether Malcolm would be an appropriate patient for this treatment. All I can say is “thank the good lord he was.”

He has since had the treatment and is remarkably well, three years on. He works full time and leads a very active life. Given our experience as a family, we cannot stand by in the knowledge that others may not have access to this test that will help determine their future and if they might be suitable for targeted treatment.

I have to be honest I am filled with some trepidation at the thought of riding the length of the North Island but am thrilled to join the Unicorn Riders supported by Ricoh New Zealand, in order to help raise the funds to provide New Zealanders with access to the Net Scan.

It is with heartfelt thanks that I thank you for your donation and can assure you that this will make a significant difference in the lives of many. If Malcolm hadn’t had the Net Scan he would not be riding beside me. For that we as a family are immensely grateful.

Thank you again for your donation. We know that it will make a difference to many others who are facing similar challenges.

Many thanks,

Carrie