Jordan Watson

My Why

For me, this is deeply personal. My grandparents – who were not just grandparents but truly my parents – raised me from the age of five after we suddenly lost my mum. They were my best friends and they gave me a life full of love, opportunity, laughter and memories that I will cherish forever. But cancer took them both, far too soon - both of them only in their 70s. 

My Nana lost her battle to ovarian cancer on February 7th 2023. Ovarian cancer takes more than 1,000 Australian women every year, with fewer than half surviving at least 5 years after diagnosis. There is currently no standard screening test for ovarian cancer and it is frequently diagnosed in advanced stages because the symptoms are so vague. Because of cancer, I didn’t get to have my Nana at my wedding. The woman who raised me, who should have been sitting in the front row, wasn’t there to hold my hand and see me start that new chapter. 

I am so lucky that my Pop did walk me down the aisle at my wedding. We shared so many special moments that day, he danced the night away and gave an amazing speech. Then 5 months later, he was gone. After being diagnosed with lung cancer in the March of ‘24, his treatment worked well and we thought he was in the clear. Then in November, it was confirmed that the cancer had not only returned to his lungs but it has also spread to his brain. My Aunty and I stayed in hospice with him until he took his last breath on November 25th 2024. Brain cancer has one of the lowest survival rates, with only about 23% of people living 5 years beyond diagnosis. In 2023 alone, it claimed around 1,579 lives.

After losing my Nana and Pop consecutively in 2023 then 2024, we asked 2025 to be kind. But on February 4th (World Cancer day would you believe it) our nephew Ace, who was just 22 months old, was diagnosed with Leukaemia. At an age where his calendar should be filled with playing at the park, birthday parties, and family holidays, instead his weeks revolve around chemo, blood tests, hospital visits, and procedures. When he was first diagnosed, weeks went by where he couldn’t see and play with his older cousins. Even the simplest joys – cuddles and kisses with his family – are done sparingly and with the barrier of a mask. We are so lucky that he is doing so well and has the energy and cheekiness of any other two year old, but his childhood shouldn’t involve being careful of his port, lumbar punctures and multiple chemotherapies - all because he is fighting cancer.

Because of cancer, my grandparents will never know my children. They won’t be here to see me become a mother, to love and spoil my kids the way they did for me. Because of cancer, I will live the rest of my life with a hole in my heart that can never be filled. I am walking not just for my Nana, my Pop, and for Ace, but for everyone touched by this disease: those we’ve lost, those fighting, those recovering, and the families who love them. Please donate and support the Cancer Council to fund vital programs and services for cancer patients and families.

Why donate?

“Cancer Council is Australia’s leading cancer charity, working across every aspect of every cancer. Every day, Cancer Council support families affected by cancer when they need it most, speak out on behalf of the community on cancer issues, empower people to reduce their cancer risk, and find new ways to better detect and treat cancer.” Cancer Council, 2025