Earlier this year, Tegan MacCormack—better known to many as cake decorating whiz Tigga Mac—was doing a routine breast check at home when she found a lump.
“I thought it might be a benign cyst like my friend had,” she recalls. “But I went to my GP to get checked anyway.”
After a mammogram and biopsy, the diagnosis came: Tegan had breast cancer.
“It was a tough one to hear,” says the 37-year-old.
Tegan began treatment at Peninsula University Hospital, where she quickly learnt how physically demanding chemotherapy can be.
“I didn’t realise how much it was going to take a toll on me—or that with the drug I was on, I was pretty much guaranteed to lose my hair,” explains Tegan.
After four rounds of chemotherapy, Tegan triumphantly rang the bell to mark the end of her treatment. This Christmas, she’ll be at home with her family, grateful for the care she received—and preparing for the next step in her journey: radiation.
“For the last couple of months, I’ve felt like I’ve pushed pause on everything in my life,” she shares. “It’s such a dark time but being able to go into the Chemotherapy Unit and be so well looked after made it so much easier.” As Tegan reminds us: “Everyone knows someone who has had cancer or is going through it—it touches everyone. If you live locally, give to the health service who might end up helping your loved ones. Just the smallest amount can really help if we all pitch in.”
