Rippleside’s Amber Ashby is doing what she can to support others going through breast cancer following her own diagnosis two years ago.
Ms Ashby, 49, was diagnosed with stage three estrogen-positive breast cancer (a locally advanced and invasive cancer that has not spread to distant body parts) in 2024.
“It was following a friend’s journey with breast cancer and probably sparked my vigilance with making sure that I had the regular scans,” she said.
“After finding a lump though, I thought that I’d better go and investigate it.”
Doctors were able to remove the cancer with surgery, with Ms Ashby then going through chemotherapy to reduce the chance of the cancer coming back.
She is now “considered cancer-free” and said her family was the biggest support during her recovery, including her mother and three kids aged 15, 18 and 21.
“My diagnosis was quite a shock to the family, and I remember my daughter turning to me with tears in her eyes and saying, ‘Mum, you’ve got this’,” she said.
“My mother also came down here from the United States and created a lot of fun and comedy in the house, so it wasn’t a heavy time for us, and it was really lovely family time.
“People genuinely want to help you, and sometimes it’s hard for people to ask for help, but don’t be afraid to ask for help and arm yourself with as much information as you can about it.”
Ms Ashby will participate in the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s (NBCF) Squat Challenge next month, which aims to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research during March.
NBCF head of community fundraising Lana Do Canto said the challenge was an opportunity for people to come together and have fun while raising funds for world-class breast cancer research.
“We’re asking people to do 56 squats a day, and that is one squat for every Australian diagnosed with breast cancer every day,” she said.
“We have one very ambitious vision, and that is towards zero deaths from breast cancer, and we know the only way to get there is through breast cancer research.
“Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Australia and the most common cancer among women…and, unfortunately, nine Australians still lose their lives to this disease every day.”
Visit NBCF’s website for more information or to participate in the Squat Challenge.
