When Chloe was 9 years old, her beloved grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
He moved in with Chloe and her family while he went through several rounds of treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy – staying with them until he sadly passed away when Chloe was 17.
Chloe with her grandfather
“Seeing my grandfather slowly deteriorate and then being there for him while he took his final breath will forever be etched in my memory. For a long time, it was hard to even bring it to the surface without crying.”
Shortly after Chloe turned 18 and while still processing the loss of her grandfather, Chloe’s mum was diagnosed with breast cancer after a lump was found during a routine mammogram.
“I was an emotional mess at school and felt incredibly isolated. It was hard to focus and I just wanted to be with my mum. I was terrified that she would die too.”
"Everyone just 'gets it' at Canteen."
Chloe reached out to Canteen shortly after her mum’s diagnosis.
“I needed support to get me through, especially going into my final year at school.
Canteen helped me not only come to terms with my mum's diagnosis, but they also helped me grieve the death of my grandfather, which I didn't even know they could do.”
Canteen provided Chloe with counselling sessions and introduced her to a supportive community of other young people going through similar challenges to help ease her feelings of isolation.
“Everyone just 'gets it’ at Canteen. They also helped me go to online and in-person events which have helped me establish lifelong friendships and given me the opportunity to do things that I have never done."
Chloe with her mum
"It's not just all about being sad, we're laughing and enjoying life with each other.”
The rest is confetti bandanna
Chloe has designed her own ‘The rest is confetti’ bandanna to represent her cancer experience and the things that helped her in her journey.
“The confetti in the background of my bandanna design reflects the sweet and bitter moments in my cancer experience. Woven through the design you will also find ribbons for the different cancer types and music notes which I found supportive in my journey.”
Chloe's bandanna is available to purchase in our online shop.
