My Story

First, to stay alive.
Then, to survive.
Now? To thrive.

Life in 2019 was a dream. Our hard work paid off when we were able to buy our first home after a long and stressful journey. The sale came through on the same day our daughter was born, 1111 magic. Our family complete, we were home safe and sound; life was great. I felt like the luckiest person in the world.

We enjoyed this bliss for a few months, before our lives were upended in March 2020.

I was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at 32. An aggressive type of the beast called Glioblastoma. With treatment, the median survival time is 12-15 months. 25% of people diagnosed with this type of brain tumour live longer than 1 year. It felt like the dream had become a nightmare in the blink of an eye.

After being told that there was nothing I could do to change the outcome, I sat with my feelings for a while, unable to gather my strength.

Before treatment commenced, I started juicing fresh ingredients. I was drinking a large glass of green juice every day. I cleaned up my diet and for the first time in a long time I immediately felt a bit better. This was the boost I needed, and I shrugged off some of the weight off my shoulders and the fog began to clear.

Death was not on the cards for me; my children needed me; this life we had built was worth fighting for.

My chosen weapon for the fight of my life? Food.

Why food? Because I feel that what we eat can help us do what we do. In my case, that was to survive. As a chef I had a deep love of working with food to satisfy peoples' hunger. My hunger was for life.

The mindset shift was initially sparked by food. It was freeing, and I wanted to work as hard on my mental health as I was on my dietary wellbeing.

Practicing gratitude daily lifted me. Focusing on what I have rather than what I don’t have had an instant positive effect on my life. Repeating daily affirmations soothed my soul. My brain believed everything I told it. I am happy, I am healthy, I am healing. My days started well and ended well.

For me, food and mindset are mutually inclusive. Gathering around a table with the ones you love is something inherently enriching for both the stomach and the soul. We come together to eat, but we also come together to support each other.

With this range of affirmation cards, I want to depart some of the things that got me moving, helped me laugh, made me chase the negative thoughts from my mind on those difficult days, to any of you that are facing something you can't comprehend or manage.