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3rd October 2024

Enjoying ‘everyday’ moments thanks to research

Robyn Dawkins

Robyn Dawkins never takes for granted the ‘everyday’ moments she spends with family and friends. 

She knows it might have been cut short, having battled the most aggressive type of breast cancer: triple negative breast cancer. 

Robyn was only 61 when she was first diagnosed in 2007. The tumour was so big it even surprised doctors. 

“I was in shock. I had no typical signs… I had just gone for my usual two-yearly check-up,” Robyn said. 

“The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life was to tell my mother, who’d lost her mother to breast cancer when she was pregnant with me.” 

Robyn knew she had an uphill battle, with triple negative breast cancer being one of the deadliest types, so she immediately began chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. 

Today, Robyn lives with cardiomyopathy (heart failure) as a result of her chemotherapy, but otherwise lives a vibrant and happy life – enjoying everyday moments with her loving husband John, daughter Karen and grandkids. 

Robyn is also passionate about fundraising for breast cancer research and donated part sales of her novel Westerly Winds, which she wrote throughout her treatment. 

“I often say to people there’s no point in donating to other organisations, because the Foundation… caters to everything.” 

When the fight becomes personal 

Dr Sarah Boyle works hard so patients can enjoy more ‘everyday’ moments with their loved ones.

Dr Sarah Boyle is a talented breast cancer researcher who works tirelessly to make the ‘everyday’ possible for families and loved ones.

And the fight is personal for Dr Boyle, with her mum and other women in her family affected by breast cancer. 

“My mother has had surgery and radiotherapy to treat breast cancer twice. Hers is a success story, and I am grateful I still get to experience those everyday moments with her,” Dr Boyle said. 

Based at Adelaide’s Centre for Cancer Biology, an alliance between the University of SA and SA Pathology, Dr Boyle’s early-career research was proudly funded by ABCR and THRF Group to investigate the physical forces that occur when tumours grow and spread. 

She is now taking this work further, with both THRF Group and Government backing, to advance this knowledge and use it to develop clinical approaches to control cancer progression and spread. 

We are only able to fund researchers like Dr Boyle thanks to your generosity! 

Together, we can all enjoy ‘everyday’ moments with loved ones. 

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