Circles before Sunrise

This year, Adam and I have decided that Relay For Life isn't just a single event on our calendar—it's something we're committing to for the long term. We're making it an annual tradition and fundraising throughout the year because cancer has changed our lives forever.

For us, this cause is deeply personal.

In 2020, my husband Adam was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer.

For 18 months, his symptoms were dismissed as IBS, dehydration, or something that would simply pass. He was young, fit, healthy, and cancer was the last thing anyone expected. It wasn't until one hospital visit, after being repeatedly sick whenever he drank water, that a doctor insisted he stay for a scan.

Twelve hours later, our world changed.

We were told Adam had a 10cm tumour. We were advised to prepare his will and start having conversations that no young family should ever have to have, conversations that started with 'Stage 4'. 

Within days, he was in Mackay for a PET scan, and two weeks later he underwent major surgery. Surgeons removed around 4kg of tissue and organs affected by the cancer. Thankfully, the operation brought some incredible news—his lymph nodes were clear, clear margins were achieved, and the cancer had been successfully removed.

Adam still jokes that he "basically had a C-section" and therefore completely understands the pain of childbirth. I usually let him have that one.

After surgery came six months of chemotherapy, countless appointments, anxious waiting, and more uncertainty than I can put into words. Then, in late 2025, he officially entered remission.

But cancer wasn't finished with our family.

In late 2025, I lost my dad to brain cancer.

In the space of a few years, we've experienced the incredible joy of remission and the heartbreaking grief of loss. We've seen the best and worst that cancer can bring into a family's life.

Between us, Adam and I have four children. He's my husband, my best friend, and my partner through everything. There was a time when we didn't know if he would get the chance to watch our children grow up. There was a time when our future felt very uncertain.

That's why we're relaying.

We're relaying for survivors.

We're relaying for those still fighting.

We're relaying for the families sitting in waiting rooms, facing impossible conversations, and holding onto hope.

And we're relaying for those we've lost, including my dad.

If you can support us, we'd be incredibly grateful.

💜 Donate if you can.
💜 Share our page if you can't.
💜 Join us and walk a lap with us.

Every dollar raised helps fund life-saving research, support services, prevention programs, and hope for families facing cancer.

Every step matters. Every conversation matters. Every dollar matters.

Thank you for helping us make a difference.

Sarah & Adam
Relay For Life 2026 💜