GTD 2025 Highlights
Meet Jess
"My husband, Igor, was first diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in early 2010. Over the years, he faced four relapses and lived with the disease on and off for nearly 15 years. He became one of the first patients treated at Lifehouse (much to his excitement) a place that gave us not just world-class care, but also moments we will treasure forever.
Thanks to an immunotherapy trial and the dedication of an incredible medical team, Igor was given the chance to continue to live his life, to marry, and to become a father. Through sadness, struggle, and cherished joy, we were fortunate to share our journey with Lifehouse and their remarkable team, including our wedding and the birth of our baby girl.
Hope was something Igor shared with Lifehouse. Giving up was never in his nature. He defied the odds time and again, even in the hardest moments his doctors believed he might suprise them with one more fight. That was who Igor was, a pillar of strength and force of light.
He never once complained through years of treatment and pain. Instead, he kept showing up to life. He kept walking even when every step hurt. He held onto the hope of returning to the gym, of playing volleyball again, even with a new hip. Igor never stopped going the distance.
His story is one of hope and a reminder that life has no set limits. Diagnosis or not, none of us know how much time we have, so make the most of every moment. Igor certainly did.
That is why we are now going the distance in his honour, and to give thanks to the amazing team at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse. For Igor, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse was more than a hospital, it was a home away from home. He shared a special bond with the staff, admired their commitment, and appreciated their humour, especially in his final weeks. We will always be deeply grateful for the care he received.
In November 2024, I also lost my brother to testicular cancer. He was 40 and because of his disability, treatment options were limited. This loss, alongside Igor's, was devestating. Yet again, Lifehouse was there, especially the palliative care team, whose support made a difference in such a difficult time.
My husband was 33, my brother 40. My daughter was only 2 and a half when she lost both her father and her uncle.
So, I'm doing this, going the distance, together with friends, for my husband, my brother and most of all, for my daughter. I want her to grow up knowing what hope and strength looks like. What love, grit, and perseverance mean. What it is to carry someone's spirit with you and keep moving forward.
We're going the distance because Igor never stopped trying and neither will we."
Igor, Jess and Daughter Tilly are pictured to the left.
Meet Sandy
Sandy is taking part in Go The Distance in honour of her beautiful niece, Bella Bradford, who spent three years at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse bravely fighting an aggressive sarcoma.
During that time, Bella, Sandys sister Jill and her other daughter, Ashleigh were given the most extraordinary care and compassion. The doctors, nurses, admin staff—every single person at the hospital—made Bella’s journey not only bearable but gave her a sense of home and safety.
"Bella was the most resilient and grateful person I have ever known. Right up until her passing, she carried herself with wisdom and grace, always taking the time to thank those around her—from her medical team to her friends and family. She truly was a warrior and an inspiration.
Through her TikTok videos, Bella shared powerful lessons on life, teaching others to cherish the little things and to always be grateful. No matter how unwell she felt, she challenged her body each day—walking, exercising, and pushing herself to stay strong.
This fundraiser is for Bella, and for every cancer warrior who shows us what courage, strength, and love truly look like.
And finally, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the incredible staff at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse—without their care, dedication, and kindness, Bella and her family’s journey would have been very different."
Sandy's neice Bella is pictured to the left.
Meet Melissa
In 2022, around the time both her parent were diagnosed with cancer, Melissa had a serious car accident which left her unable to work or drive. After this incredibly challenging period, she shares with us why she’s choosing to Go the Distance for Chris O’Brien Lifehouse this September:
“My mum who had oesophageal cancer was treated at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, where she stayed for four months.
The care she received was amazing - from the palliative care team to the doctors, the dietician, the nursing staff.
She could be a bit eccentric, and she loved the music that Harry, the Music Therapist, played in her room. Mum demanded Harry learn some Irish folk songs for her birthday and to our surprise he did. Mum was so happy and felt great that day.
I can't say enough good things about Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. We were all made to feel welcome. There were plenty of quiet spaces where we could work or cry or have time to cheer up.
My dad, who was 80 at the time, was also suffering from prostate cancer. He was very anxious about mum and the team at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse gave him so much information as he sat by her bedside every day. While we did not have hope, he had peace and that really helped.
Mum sadly passed away at the end of September, after four months of treatment. We were honoured to attend the memorial service that year at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. It was a wonderful experience which I know few people can say when their loved one is dying.”
Go The Distance challenge is helping Melissa regain her focus and wellbeing. This September she really is making a difference – to her life and others.
When it comes to challenges, Cooper Starling has experienced more than his fair share this year.
Earlier in the year, after seeing a doctor about a pain in his knee, further scans brought devastating news. Cooper was diagnosed with a rare form of soft tissue cancer, called sarcoma.
With that news came another crushing blow. To give him the best shot at survival, Cooper would need to have his leg amputated at the knee.
"It was the worst day of my life,” Cooper said. “There were many sleepless nights thinking about what my future would look like. How would I get down on one knee to propose to my girlfriend, or play with my kids? But I'll take being alive with one leg, over the alternative.”
After months of nausea-inducing chemotherapy, Cooper had his operation last April. He threw himself into recovery and was on crutches within 24 hours of surgery.
Amid everything, he started documenting his experience on Instagram and TikTok and has amassed a large international following. “I want to change the stigma around cancer and show people it's not a death sentence,” explains Cooper.
Three months post-surgery, Cooper isn't looking back. With the end of treatment in sight, he's taken on a new challenge – tackling 100km with his best mate for Go the Distance. He hopes as many people as possible will join him to raise funds for Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.
“I am so thankful that I have Chris O'Brien Lifehouse. I truly don't know what my time would be like without it. I've been given a second chance at life, and I owe it to myself to give back.”
GTD 2024 Highlights
19-year-old Josh Griffiths knows more than most what it means to go the distance for cancer treatment.
Josh was living in Adelaide, enjoying the first few months of his new career in the Army when he discovered a lump in his neck. After a PET scan, he received the news that no one deserves to hear.
"I had expected the worst, but when they told me it was cancer, I just felt angry,” Josh recalls. "I had gone through a full year of Army training, just to get cancer."
Josh had synovial sarcoma, a rare form of soft tissue cancer. As the specialist sarcoma treatment centre for New South Wales, Chris O'Brien Lifehouse was recommended to Josh as the best place for treatment. His parents Ian and Lisa helped Josh pack up his belongings into the back of his car, and together they made the 16-hour drive back to Sydney.
"Much of the trip we were without mobile coverage or WiFi, so we could process what we'd just learnt,” says Ian, Josh's dad.
"Despite the circumstances, it was a special time. We reforged an even stronger closeness of father, mother and child cementing a camaraderie where we agreed that we 'had this', that we would 'beat this'."
Unfortunately, the long trips didn't end there. The Griffiths family live in Gosford, so his mum and dad were grateful to stay at our YouCan centre while Josh received treatment. Being so close together was an immense comfort to the whole family.
"As a close-knit family, this meant the world to us," recalls Ian. "The support services at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse removed an element of the stress and uncertainty we were feeling. Knowing we had the refuge of the YouCan centre meant we didn't need to think about finding accommodation and parking, not to mention traveling upwards of 3 hours each day. It was one less obstacle to navigate."
At Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, the generosity of our donors helps provide a range of holistic support services that help ease the burden of distance for regional patients, so they can access world-class, comprehensive cancer care.
GTD 2023 Highlights
Meet Bella
In May 2023, Bella (pictured, far right) experienced a relapse of Rhabdomyosarcoma in her jaw muscle. Returning to treatment means spending more time a great distance away from home, but the YouCan Centre at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse ensures she can still have her family and friends close by.
“I’m in the hospital pretty much 2 out of every 3 weeks, so the YouCan Centre has meant my mum can stay here when I do, providing me the support I need as well as a beautiful place to go during the day to seek refuge from the monotony of the hospital room.” says Bella.
The YouCan Centre at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse provides accommodation, entertainment and solace for our adolescent young adults during their time here.
“I’ve loved having friends come and hang out here, where we watch movies and play many board games - particularly Catan! What a privilege it is to have this amazing place to visit during my tough treatment regime, my dog Nelson thinks so too”.
Bella’s friends joined Go the Distance and supported Chris O’Brien Lifehouse for Bella in August. Their Go The Distance team, Team Going the Distance for Bella, was the top team on our leaderboard with over $21,000 raised!
We wish Bella all the best in her recovery and thank Team Bella for helping patients with cancer by going the distance.
GTD 2022 Highlights
Meet Kim
Earlier this year, Kim Sherwin had a run-in with cancer. "I was one of the lucky ones who had the surgery at lightning speed after something was found at my regular screening," Kim says. "I had the badness successfully removed from my breast, then zapped the heck out of my boob with five weeks of radiotherapy." The impact of Kim's journey has been quite profound on her. "I'm incredibly grateful for the amazing care and support I've received from the remarkable team at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse," she says. "I wanted to give back."
Kim lives close to the Camperdown centre, and each day of her five week radiotherapy treatment, she'd make the 5km round trip with her partner on foot. "Being able to walk there was important to both my mental and physical health, and something I was determined to do, come rain or shine," Kim says. "We'd often comment on how fortunate we were to be able to walk to my treatment at such an amazing facility. I'd overhear others at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse talk about coming across town on a couple of buses or even from regional areas. It's a tough enough journey, nevermind having to contend with a daily commute, reliant on public transport and staying in a hotel, away from home and family."
Kim has pushed herself to Go The Distance this year by cycling to different libraries far and wide across Sydney, so far raising an incredible amount of donations for her many rides. "Cancer isn't going to beat itself," Kim says. "Only we can help beat it, and support those going through what is a very unsettling time, in a high-quality care facility."
Kim has joined Go The Distance for a second year in 2023, and this year she is swimming the equivalent of a marathon! That's 42.125km, which is phenomenal. We can't wait to see Kim swim towards her goal, while helping patients with cancer and their families.
Meet Tim
This is Tim and nothing will stop him from Going The Distance for his daughter Erin. On Day 1 of the challenge, Tim was locked out of his garage and couldn’t get to his bike due to a power outage. So, he crawled underneath the house, through cobwebs and dirt, and lifted himself up through the floorboards into the garage. Tim cycled 103km on Day 1.
“I thought about all of the setbacks that patients have and how they resolve to keep going, and I thought I can’t let a little power outage stop me,” he said.
His daughter Erin, 28, was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year. She has since had surgery and will start Chemotherapy this month. Both dad and daughter are on their own journey this August but together the whole way!
GTD 2021 Highlights
Meet Kai
Kai, from Bali, a long way away from home and Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.
Kai was a fit young man, living abroad and at the peak of his career - throwing multi day music festivals for thousands of people.
A few days before his 26th birthday, he went for a run and something didn’t feel right. A chest X-ray turned into a CT scan and a 15cm tumour was revealed in his chest.
Year 1 was chemotherapy treatment for nonseminoma cancer (testicular). It was thought to be successful but a few months later his cancer returned and transformed into rhabdomyosarcoma. Year 2 was more chemotherapy and a surgery to remove the tumour in his chest.
Kai has a parlayzed diaphragm and is still receiving maintenance chemotherapy but he pledges to Go The Distance because he believes “geography shouldn’t limit access to life-saving treatment”
