By Annette Campbell
Alana Ziebell learned a lot in her last year of high school — and it wasn’t all from textbooks and classes.
Her mother Pauline died from breast cancer on September 13 last year, only weeks before Alana was due to sit her final exams. But amazingly, this determined 18-year-old from Melbourne persevered with her studies and passed with flying colours.
“Mum taught me all about strength and never giving in,” she says. “I just thought about how proud she’d be that I kept my head down and did it.”
Pauline was first diagnosed with cancer in her left breast about seven years ago. Throughout the course of her battle, she underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but the cancer returned, in her bones and then her liver.
Finally, on that day in September, she died in hospital, only an hour after Alana had been to visit.
“You can’t simply block it out … and trying to is the worst thing,” Alana explains. “I know I could have asked about some sort of exemption from the exams, but I didn’t want to use what was happening with Mum as an excuse.”
Alana, who lives at home with her dad and three sisters, admits she couldn’t focus 100 percent on her studies: “But I tried to channel all my thoughts and use what was happening for some good. All the time I was studying, I knew Mum was downstairs in pain. Even so, she still made it clear that she was there when any of us needed to talk.
“Anyway, I knew getting a good mark would put a smile on her face. I thought about what she would have wanted — me sulking in my room or getting a great grade?”
Alana is now studying legal practice at Melbourne’s Victoria University and is keen to encourage and support other teenagers who might be in the situation she was in.
“For anyone going through the same thing, I really want to give them a message of hope. It’s important to be able to talk with someone about what you’re going through, either friends or family.
“Cancer is not just a disease, it’s a learning experience. I’ve learned so much about natural medicines, spirituality and science. It has given me a whole other perspective on life. And the way Mum dealt with it has taught me about strength and perseverance. That you never just give up.”
Daffodil Day
Friday, August 20, was Daffodil Day, the largest national fundraising event for the Cancer Council Australia’s research, education and patient support services.
Throughout August, merchandise, including silk ribbons ($2); lapel pins ($5); pens ($2); and magnets ($3), is available from the following national supporters:
Coles Supermarkets, First National Real Estate, HIC network of Medicare offices, ANZ, Amcal, QUIX, Rockmans/BeMe, Millers Fashion Club, Katies, 1626, Crossroads, Silhouette and Ezibuy.
For more information, visit www.daffodilday.com.au or phone the Daffodil Day info line: 1300 65 65 85.
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