Jade's shock diagnosis
In 2022, Jade was stepping into a new chapter of her life. At 23, she’d just graduated from university, landed her first full-time job, and was busy planning her wedding to her fiancé, Craig. Life was full of excitement and promise – until a lump in her neck changed everything.
Her GP ordered some scans and a biopsy, reassuring her it was unlikely to be anything serious. But just days before her wedding, Jade received the devastating news: she had Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
“It was a huge shock,” she says. “Getting that phone call was really, really distressing.”
Returning from her honeymoon, Jade’s world looked completely different. What followed was a rollercoaster of treatment, remission, and relapse – three diagnoses in three years. Jade underwent countless rounds of gruelling chemotherapy, immunotherapy, two stem cell transplants, and months of brutal side effects.
Throughout it all, she leaned on her husband, her faith, and – thanks to kind people like you – care and support from LBC.
“Nicki from LBC has been with me from the very start,” says Jade. “She’s been awesome. She’d call regularly to check in, especially when I couldn’t see people because I was immunocompromised. That meant a lot.”
Thanks to support from generous donors like you, Jade could access LBC’s wrap-around care every step of the way – from hospital visits during long periods of isolation, to practical help like fuel vouchers when she needed to travel for treatment. Jade also found much-needed community through LBC’s young adults group in Wellington.
Today, Jade is in remission and works at the Malaghan Institute – an organisation dedicated to advancing cancer research. Her husband, Craig, works for Fire and Emergency New Zealand, and took part in LBC’s Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge this year – raising over $9,000 for others like Jade.
Now eight months posttransplant, Jade is hopeful. She’s looking forward to just being a “normal” 27-year-old – working, travelling, and spending time with loved ones.
It’s compassionate people like you who make stories like this possible. Your support gave Jade strength, connection, and hope through even the darkest days. Thank you for being part of her journey.
