Cut Cancer Short; Issie’s Chop for Change

I’m doing it for cancer!

Please take a moment to read ! 

I’ve once again decided to chop off my hair to support the Cancer Council in their mission to create a cancer-free future.

I did this same chop back in 2021, donating 52cm of hair to be made into a wig for children who had lost their hair due to cancer treatment.
But this time, it’s different — because I’m making it into a fundraiser, AND now the cause is far more personal!

Over the past few years, cancer has impacted my life in ways I never imagined.

The first person I’m doing this for is my beautiful mother. At the start of this year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, it was found early and she was able to have the cancer removed. She’s currently undergoing radiation treatment and is still bravely fighting every single day. I’m incredibly proud of her strength, resilience, and the grace she’s shown through it all. 

But not everyone gets the chance to recover, to keep fighting, or to grow old with the ones they love. Just three weeks ago, I lost my dear uncle John — one of the most important people in my life — after a 15-month battle with cancer. We loved and adored him beyond words. His humour, kindness, and annual trips to Australia meant everything to us. His loss has left an enormous hole in our hearts, and he will always be with us. So this is also for him — to honour his memory, his strength, and the love I had for him. 

This fundraiser is also a tribute to other loved ones in my life who have been impacted by cancer. My amazing Auntie Linda overcame breast cancer in 2023 and continues to inspire us with her strength and resilience — a powerful example of courage, hope, and the importance of timely care. My beloved Auntie Pauline, who we lost in 2011 to a brain tumour, was one of the most selfless and compassionate people I’ve ever known. Throughout the majority of her life, she lived fighting skin cancer, facing it quietly and with incredible resilience. Her unwavering kindness and gentle strength left a lasting impact on everyone around her, and she continues to inspire me every single day. And though I never had the chance to meet him, I carry the memory of my grandad, who passed away from tongue cancer before I was born. He fought bravely through his illness and was known for the deep love he had for his family — a love that still lives on in the stories I am told about him. 

Sadly, stories like these are far too common. 1 in 2 people globally will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime — that’s one in every two of us. It’s a devastating reality that touches nearly every family, including mine.

Too many people I love have been affected by cancer — some are still fighting, and others we’ve had to say goodbye to far too soon. This fundraiser is my way of honouring my mum, celebrating survivors like my Auntie Linda, remembering my Uncle John, Auntie Pauline, and Grandad, and helping others who are facing similar battles.

To mark this journey, I’ll be chopping my hair on a very special day — my 25th birthday!! It feels like the perfect moment to give something back and to turn a personal milestone into something that might change someone else’s life.

Cutting off my hair is a big step, but it’s nothing compared to what cancer patients endure. If this small act can raise awareness, fund lifesaving research, and provide vital support services, it’s more than worth it.

If you’re able to, please consider donating — every donation helps, and it truly means so much to me.

Thank you for reading, for supporting, and for standing with me.

Together, we can honour the ones we love and help build a future free from cancer.