Cancer was never part of Clare Halloran’s plans. She was 28, had just graduated from university with firm ideas of where her life was heading.
But in January 2014, the Footscray resident was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
“There was just the shock and the fear of the unknown,” she said. “I had assumed I had all this time ahead of me, but suddenly your whole perspective changes and you’re fighting for your life.”
Ms Halloran had six gruelling months of chemotherapy and has just celebrated a year in remission. She still attends a Hodgkin Lymphoma support group and is passionate about supporting blood cancer research and raising awareness of blood-related disorders and diseases.
Ms Halloran credits the Leukaemia Foundation with providing her support when she needed it most.
“The Leukaemia Foundation was pivotal in helping me to cope,” she said. “They really helped in providing details about treatments and side-effects, making decisions.”
Although her cancer took a physical and emotional toll, Ms Halloran never stopped feeling love and support around her.
“People really rally around you; my friends family and colleagues were all so supportive.”
The keen long-distance runner is back on the track and getting her life back as well.
“It’s time to go out and live life and do all the things I planned to do before I had cancer.”
She said the foundation’s Light the Night walk on October 9, which aims to raise $1.5 million to help people cope, is a perfect time to reflect and consider how far she has come since this time last year.
Details: lightthenight.org.au
