Jan’s Journey: Surviving Bowel Cancer and Giving Back One Snood at a Time
Jan (left) with her sister Lynn
“If it wasn’t for BCNZ I wouldn’t be here – simple as that.”
“In October 2019 (just before covid), my young sister, Lynne was in Auckland for work. Going to an appointment she was following a bus with an advertisement on the back for BCNZ saying ‘Never Too Young to get Bowel Cancer’. As she followed it for quite a while, her eyes kept going back to the advertisement. She thought ‘this is a sign!’.
It continued to play on Lynne’s mind. Being in her 50’s and having a history of bowel cancer in our family, Lynne decided to have a colonoscopy when she returned home. They found nine cancerous polyps and the surgeon suggested she tell her family to get checked too – I thought about it for a while, but because I had no symptoms I decided I would talk it over with my GP at my next doctor’s appointment.
After chatting with my doctor, they decided to refer me for a colonoscopy, but it would cost me almost $3000.
I had my colonoscopy in November 2019, and to everyone’s shock (because I had no symptoms), I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. I was operated on in early December 2019. The surgeon said if I hadn’t had the operation I wouldn’t have made it to the following Christmas”.
Grateful for the second chance, Jan, along with her family and friends, turned her hands to knitting snoods for bowel cancer patients to wear while going through chemotherapy and when they experienced hair loss – each available for a $20 donation to support the cause.”
“Now we knit snoods and dish/face cloths, and I sell them at the local markets to raise money for BCNZ. I started knitting these because there isn’t a big need for snoods in the summer.”
Jan with her amazing team of friends and family
To date, me and my team of knitters have raised nearly $5,000 from the snoods and cloths!
In addition, my husband Doug has raised around $6,000 through Move your Butt and doing various fundraising walks.
Huge thanks to Jan and her friends and family for turning a tough experience into something so generous!
You can support Jan’s beautiful work by donating to her fundraiser and choosing your own hand-knitted snood or cloth. Simply make a donation through her fundraising page below.