I was very lucky to grow up in Newcastle surrounded by my family. When I was young I was never sure what I wanted to be. But I knew I wanted it to mean something. My grandparents were very kind, stoic people. They didn't have a lot but they would have happily given the shirt off their back to a stranger, and it rubbed off on me more than I realised.

What led you to do a communications degree?

I worked hard at school and started a law degree when I was still 17. I realised I wasn't ready for five more years of school and bought a ticket overseas and left just after first semester. After a year I came home and decided on a communications degree because I had always gravitated towards writing.

Your first role was as a marketing intern at the Hunter Medical Research Institute. How was it?

Working in medical research was an absolute dream. Some really strong, brilliant people take me under their wing. In my eight years there I saw amazing things happen: cures for cancer, breakthroughs for stroke survivors where I saw people walk for the first time in years. It was life and death stuff and it gifted me a perspective on what was really important.

Next came a similar role at Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation before you moved to general manager within six months. How did that come about?

Once I accepted the role with HBCF and began working with the board I could just see this huge potential to grow the organisation within the Hunter. HBCF was doing this incredible thing for Newcastle, but most people didn't know that it was an independent local charity entirely funded by the community. It became clear there was a bigger opportunity for the foundation, and I felt really passionate about being a part of it. I asked if I could take on the role as general manager and they said yes. I am so glad they did.

Your 2020 appointment coincided with the first lockdown. What happened to HBCF's operations?

One of the very first COVID exposures in Newcastle was a breast cancer patient. So HBCF needed to decide within 24 hours what to do. We decided to adapt the breast cancer support services so we could continue to support local families throughout the pandemic. We had to rebuild each support service from the ground up to ensure we could offer services to our immunocompromised clients safely.

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What were your priorities in developing services that could still operate in a "pandemic setting"?

We needed to ensure we could safely support local families through breast cancer. It was hard work, and it took a lot of consultations. Through COVID we were able to adapt and offer COVID safe transport, home cleaning, lawn services, healthy food deliveries, cancer care packages, comfort cushions and a virtual contactless wig delivery service. We worked with specific providers who trained in COVID safe practices. We had cars completely cleaned between each client transport. We built a virtual wig and headwear library so that clients could make a shortlist of options online, then delivered the wigs in a quarantined box for them to try on and make their choice in the comfort of their homes. I am just so proud of the staff for what they were able to do. The Foundation took the pandemic as an opportunity to really assess what was most needed in the community. It's the on the ground services that help with everyday life that are the most important. These are things that we found eased the mental load and made the biggest difference to Hunter families.

What has been the response to your services?

The response shocked us. Through COVID, requests from families to access HBCF services tripled. HBCF now provides more than 2500 breast cancer support services to our community and it keeps growing. We have partnered with Hunter Melanoma Foundation and Stop Ovarian Cancer to offer supportive care services to families going through skin, ovarian, and gynecological cancers.

The hardest part of the first COVID outbreak?

Throwing out the strategic plan and living with the uncertainty of a pandemic future. There was no precedent and no manual. We learned to adapt, and I figured out how to make a really good coffee at home, and we just got stuck in and tried to get some pretty amazing stuff done.

What is the most satisfying part of your job?

All of it! If I had to pick one thing it would be meeting the families that we help. Being able to free up some space while they navigate cancer is a special thing to be able to do for someone.

What motivates you?

So much. But most of all probably wanting to make this world just a little bit better in some way. I would like my kids to grow up thinking that's a cool thing to do.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I'd like to see every person in Newcastle have access to life changing support services - regardless of what cancer they are diagnosed with. My goal would be for HBCF to form partnerships with other local cancer charities to offer support services to everyone in need. The Hunter would be the first place to do this in Australia.

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