By ALEX and DEB DUNKLEY
What would you do if your daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer? Alex Dunkley, 28, was diagnosed with the biggest cancer killer of Australians under thirty-nine. Her mother, Deb, and Alex both tell Mamamia their tale.
Alex Dunkley, 28 (daughter)
A few days before Christmas just after my twenty seventh birthday in 2011 I woke up ill and the last thing I remember is throwing up in the bathroom.
My mum found me half in the bath half out of the bath having a seizure and called an ambulance. The hospital discovered a large tumour the size of an avocado in my left temporal lobe.
From that day on it felt like my life was in fast forward. I didn’t have time to be scared or stressed or over think anything.
I had surgery two days after Christmas but the surgery wasn’t successful and two and a half months later I had another seizure, this time at work. Up to this point I had just done what was advised, but from that moment I knew I had to take control of my own survival.
I was only twenty seven, had my whole life ahead of me and I wanted that life to be long. I wanted to travel, to explore the world and have adventures.
Someone suggested going interstate to see Charlie Teo and I flew to Sydney with my mum. Charlie gave me a choice. He could remove as much as possible with little risk or he could remove the whole tumour with greater risks and I may lose my speech.
Top Comments
my daughter was 16mths old when dx with a SPNET brain tumor....she undergone 18mths of surgeries, drugs, chemo and radiation before she was 3....she is an adventurous 5 year old now with a few side effects, but she is here and currently disease free...
Yes Deb i know exactly how you feel....and raising awareness to brain cancer and all child cancers is now my main priority..xx
You hit the nail on the head...it does change you, xx
Heres cheers to happiness and health xx
Alex, you are fantastic to share your story and help raise awareness about this horrible disease. Charities like Cure for Life need all the support they can get.
My little brother lost his battle with brain cancer this year age 21. I can only hope that others like you are able to fight and beat this disease. I wish you and your family all the very best.