In 2022, Trudy and Andy were told the devastating news that no parent wants to hear – their child had cancer. Living in regional Victoria, the family’s world changed overnight as they faced years of treatment, lengthy hospital stays, and countless trips between Warrnambool and Melbourne.
It was all happening for Bobby and his family at the start of 2022. Bobby had just started kinder, he was enjoying a new routine and group of friends. His older sister, Andie, had started her first year of school.
But that excitement turned into devastation, just months later.
Bobby went through several phases of looking pale and returning to normal. Trudy began to suspect something wasn’t right. “One day he walked up the stairs, and he was so white, his lips were white, and it got me thinking, ‘I don’t think he’s right at the moment’,” she says.
After being told they needed to wait a month to see a paediatrician in Warrnambool, Trudy continued to monitor her son closely. Then one morning, everything changed forever.
“Bobby walked into our room and asked to be pulled up onto the bed. He could normally jump up just fine. He looked really pale, and I could see the pulse in his neck beating so hard. We took one look at him and said, ‘This isn’t okay, we’re taking him to the hospital’.”
We arrived at Warrnambool Hospital at about 8am. We were in the emergency department, got a blood test, and at 4:30pm that afternoon we were told he had cancer. By 8pm that night, we were in Melbourne at the Royal Children’s [Hospital].
Trudy remembers what was going through her head like it was yesterday.
“It was this really bizarre moment where everything is going through your mind in terms of what is going to happen, and your world is almost flashing before you.”
It was a relief to know what was going on but in that moment we knew it was going to be the craziest part of our lives.
On top of navigating the shock of a blood cancer diagnosis, being a regional family presented its own set of obstacles.
To reach Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, Bobby and Trudy needed to take three ambulances – two road and one air.
Limited access to healthcare professionals and services force blood cancer patients from regional Australia to travel long distances for treatment and care. People living in regional areas are 17 times more likely to report geographical and financial barriers to care than people living in metropolitan areas.
After an initial eight-week stint in Melbourne, the family found themselves going back and forth between Warrnambool and Melbourne for the next three years.
Living regionally certainly adds a toll. We had a very good support system in place, but it really does add a whole other level of complexity.
Things got even more difficult for the family when they realised they needed to spend a significant time apart.
“I went to Melbourne with Bobby and left my daughter and husband in Warrnambool. I’d never really been away from my daughter much before. My husband and I don’t spend much time away from each other either.
Our family unit was broken in half overnight at a time when you want to be as close to your family unit as possible.
“Weeks in the hospital, not having my husband next to me, sitting there and talking through decisions, not being able to just hug my daughter goodnight every night like I would normally do, all of that was taken away. You’re left to live in two very separate worlds for prolonged periods of time.”
In January 2025, after more than three years of gruelling treatment that pushed Bobby and his family to their limits, he reached a special milestone.
Bobby rang the bell – signalling the end of his treatment and the start of the rest of his life. It was meant to be a moment of celebration and relief for the family, however they couldn’t help but think about other families in their position who may never get that moment.
“There was this sense of gratitude that we had made it, but also this survivor’s guilt of knowing that there are many people who have a long way to go to get to this point and some who will never get to this point. We know [some of] those families, and it’s heartbreaking to know that not everyone has the same outcome as Bobby.”
Thanks to advancements in research, diagnostics, treatments and novel therapies, more Australians are surviving blood cancer and living longer beyond their diagnosis. As more people enter remission, it is crucial that the Leukaemia Foundation continues to focus on helping patients recover physically, emotionally and socially, and regain confidence in their future.
Today, Trudy is part of the Leukaemia Foundation’s Lived Experience Engagement Program (LEEP). As a member of this program, she helps raise awareness of blood cancer and advocate for better care, while receiving ongoing support as Bobby navigates the physical and emotional impacts of treatment and life beyond blood cancer.
“Bobby lost the ability to walk during treatment, and regaining his strength and his movement will be a long-term process. He can walk and run, [but] he’s just not as fast as other kids his age – and has muscle weakness throughout his body. So, that’s a part of survivorship that we’re working on.
Cancer survivorship is a really important topic. It’s one that doesn’t get enough airtime, but we’re seeing a real shift in that which I’m really excited about.
“Survivorship is multifaceted. There are lots of knock-on effects from cancer treatment which are amplified among rural and regional families. Anything from mental health or emotional wellbeing to financial toxicity.
“It’s really heartening to see the likes of the Leukaemia Foundation and many others in the sector really shining a light on it and trying to establish a national framework for survivorship going forward.”
While continuing to help Bobby on his road to recovery, Trudy and her family have high hopes for the future and have come out of this experience closer than ever.
“I would like to think that when he is old enough, he is able to enter the workforce and lead a really meaningful and joyful life. We will do everything we can as a family unit to ensure that this very small part of his life journey – that he did not choose or deserve to go through – doesn’t impact the rest of his life unnecessarily.”
But despite their optimism and positivity, they reflect on the high costs of cancer – a hidden, national crisis.
“The financial impact of living regionally is a really complex one as well. You’re paying for parking every day at the hospital. There’s all the food provisions, you’re constantly having takeaway when you’re eating at the hospital. It’s a really difficult time.”
The Leukaemia Foundation supports Australians navigate the financial burden of blood cancer. Through accommodation support for patients and families from regional areas alongside trusted information and education services, we help people navigate financial challenges and make informed decisions. But our efforts are not enough.
