The amazing Sandie Martin from Auckland Transport shares her breast cancer journey. Read on to learn more about her fundraiser and how you can contribute to this important cause.
Kia ora koutou, my name is Sandie Martin, and I am a Customer Care Business Partner at AT and this May I will be 13 years cancer free. I will be fundraising for the NZBCF (New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation) who supported me immeasurably throughout my journey and it is for this reason I try to give back each year in the form of fundraising.
This is my story.
In August 2009, I went for my second free mammogram at 47 years of age (my first free mammogram at the age of 45 had shown all clear). On September 16 2009, after being asked to return for a biopsy and I was told I had breast cancer. This came as a shock, there is no history of breast cancer in my family.
I remember immediately thinking about my boys and my husband, how scared I was and then how grateful I was for free mammograms and that it had been picked up.
The next couple of months were a blur. For the best planned treatment to be provided, I went through a staging process to see if the cancer had spread to any other part of my body. Following the results, I was immediately booked in for a mastectomy which would be followed by chemotherapy and radiation. I completed all this treatment at the end of May 2010.
I will always remember how blessed I was to have the support of my family, friends and my colleagues at Waitakere City Council. My colleagues created a roster of meal deliveries for the weeks I was in chemotherapy. Every afternoon there would be a knock on the door and a lovely meal would be delivered. One day I was surprised to open the door to ex Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey and his lovely wife Barbara, it was a very humbling time for me.
13 years later, a day never goes by that I don’t feel grateful to still be here. My boys are now wonderful young men, I am growing old with my amazing husband, and I cherish every new day.
Bake Sale Fundraising event at Anchorpoint – Wednesday 24 May at 10:30 am.
Sandie and her colleagues will be hosting a bake sale under the Anchorpoint shade structure. If you would like to purchase some home baking which will also include her world famous Snickerdoodles (well actually… only world famous to those who have purchased them before 😉) come along to support at 10:30 am. If you cannot make it on the day, there is a page where you can make an online donation, check it out here.
All donations are gratefully accepted, the proceeds raised from this Pink Ribbon Bake Sale will bring us one step closer to our vision of zero deaths from breast cancer. So, please get involved in whatever way you can – your support will make a real difference. To learn more about what NZBCF you can be sure to find more information on their website.
Collecting money is not the only goal, Sandie would also like to encourage other women to go for regular mammograms. Her message to those who are only thinking about having a mammogram…
“Don’t put it off – empower yourself, go get checked.”
