Shane Boylan

In Australia, a woman dies every 8 hours from ovarian cancer. On the 14 November 2022 at 12.20 a.m. our beautiful Vicki lost her battle with ovarian cancer. For Vicki, our mum, wife, yiayia, sister, dearest friend, stage 3 ovarian cancer was first detected, by chance, in 2014. Ovarian cancer is known as the silent killer. The symptoms associated with the disease are vague and easily mistaken for common women’s health issues such as bloating, so they rarely set off alarm bells. This often results in delayed action addressing the complaints and ultimately in women being diagnosed when they are at the advanced stages of the disease, significantly reducing survival rates. Vicki lived for 8 years after detection, defying the odds. She made every minute count, and wasn’t going to waste a moment giving into the cancer. Her zest for life was infectious. Vicki’s heart was suffused with sunshine, so it was no surprise to find a garden of blooms in her heart, where we each rested and basked in her love. She was kind, compassionate and giving; an enduring spirit who only saw the positive; accepting and forgiving. She was resilient, a fighter and courageous. She inspired us in life. And now, her spirit walks with us, encouraging us to seek and hold onto every little bit of life’s sunshine. We, Vicki’s Legacy team, ask you to also walk with us and please donate to enable research to find an early detection test (anything over $2 is tax deductible). Our goal is to help change the statistics and give those diagnosed with ovarian cancer a greater chance of survival. If an early detection test can be developed, survival rates for could rise to 90% and above, saving lives of thousands. The OCRF is the leading non-government funder of ovarian cancer research in Australia, and the largest funder nationwide for early detection research. Please help us to support the vital work of OCRF by making a donation in memory of our beloved Vicki.