12 May 2023
How the Pink Test is helping change lives, one nurse at a time
This Moment of Help shares the story of one local nurse in Bordertown, on Potaruwutj country in south-east South Australia, whose life took a turn when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It’s also a story of how the game of cricket is changing lives.
In September last year, Melissa Small, a registered nurse who was undertaking postgraduate study in emergency nursing, made a life-changing decision to get a scan when the BreastScreen SA Mobile Unit came to town. Mel had no reason to think she had cancer, even when she was recalled for further scanning and a biopsy, she thought it was just routine.
“Then I got a letter from BreastScreen that said, ‘You have cancer in your left breast.’” A subsequent telehealth call with BreastScreen SA confirmed that Mel had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which means abnormal cells had been found in the lining of her breast milk duct but had not spread outside the duct into the surrounding tissue.
Up until that point, access to specialist cancer care required a seven-hour return journey to Adelaide.
Around the same time, another nurse, based in Naracoorte, an hour’s drive from Bordertown, was also about to receive a life-changing call. Kate Williams, a registered nurse with more than 30 years experience — which includes midwifery, operating, emergency, and rural nursing — was offered a new role, as a McGrath Breast Care Nurse, helping people in the region navigate their cancer diagnosis and treatment. The position was made possible with the help of NRMA Insurance, 'Proud Helpers of Australian Cricket' and the McGrath Foundation.
Since 2009, the annual Pink Test international cricket match has drawn huge crowds and raised more than $17 million towards helping families impacted by breast cancer. And this year, the event held at the Sydney Cricket Ground was no different. Kate in fact volunteered to be one of the many fundraisers working the crowd. Motivated to “give back” to the McGrath Foundation for the incredible welcome and resources they have provided her, Kate just wanted to help.
“I thought how special this has been for our community and if I could go out and shake the tin and help another McGrath Breast Care Nurse get on the ground, I’d love to!”
She told everyone at the Pink Test about her recent posting and how important the McGrath Breast Care Nurses are. During this Pink Test, NRMA Insurance donated $420,000 to the McGrath Foundation, funding which will now cover Kate’s position in South Australia over the next three years. The McGrath Foundation now funds 200 McGrath Breast Care Nurses across Australia. Their mission is to ensure that no one in Australia has to go through breast cancer without the support of a McGrath Breast Care Nurse.
Mel describes meeting Kate and accepting her support as “the best decision I ever made”.
Even Mel’s husband Darren responded to Kate’s “loving and welcoming” personality, says Mel. Kate recognised Mel’s way of dealing with anxiety was to engage her sense of humour.
“Yeah, I was anxious,” says Mel. “I suffer from anxiety at the best of times.” But Kate’s McGrath Foundation training and her lifelong drive to help meant she was able to explain to Mel with empathy exactly what her diagnosis meant within her own personal health context. Kate’s local knowledge also meant she knew which of the available procedures the surgeon would use to treat Mel and his reasoning.
To have someone knowledgeable walk by your side through the experience of breast cancer is just phenomenal
Kate’s professional support was also invaluable to Darren, whose first wife had died of a sudden heart condition, and who became so stressed by Mel’s diagnosis and the fear of what might ensue that he developed shingles. After their first meeting with Kate, the couple both hugged her with a sense of relief that they could rely on her help and guidance.
Mel stopped feeling the pressure to be her own nurse, “It's a path you take together, but Kate became the driver and I was more the passenger.”
“As a nurse, I can be that patient advocate. For me, Kate was my advocate — she had the resources and specialised knowledge — and pointed me towards what was available to me.”
Throughout Mel’s experience, Kate texted or called her with thoughtful messages, particularly as the wait in between appointments or surgery can feel like an eternity.
“That waiting was the worst part,” says Mel, “even though I’m a nurse and quite practical. Kate reminded me that my cancer was small and at a very early stage, and that nothing bad was going to happen in that time.” Kate’s every communication acknowledged her patient’s likely state of mind and offered support.
After Mel’s operation to remove the tumour, Kate provided wound care, ensuring she fitted in with Mel’s schedule as she returned to work. “When I was on night shift at the hospital and I needed to have my wound drained, Kate fronted up at 7.30am, at the end of my shift, to do it,” which meant the patient didn’t have to come back into town for an appointment within hours.
The fact that Kate’s not three-and-a-half hours away, but literally down the road is really important. Then the availability that she provides — that’s Kate’s willingness to go above and beyond
This International Nurses Day, we celebrate the incredible passion and empathy of nurses just like Kate, who comes from a long line of carers.
“My mum was a nurse and used to share stories. I think five of my aunties are nurses and four of my cousins,” she says, so it was a natural path to follow.
Mel now looks forward to Thursdays when she and Kate are both nursing in Bordertown Hospital, and she's “guaranteed a cuddle” if they pass in the corridor. Mel introduces Kate to people as “My boob nurse”, which makes everyone laugh. “I’m sure we’ll remain friends,” says Kate, appreciating the bonus of the local care that the McGrath Foundation strives to enable.
The Power of Help is within us all. Communities are stronger together. Share your Moment of Help here or to create your Moment of Help, join the Australian Resilience Corps, and find out how you can give or get help through community volunteering. Together we can create the country’s largest army of helpers.
