Carla Lunardi never wants her sons to hear the words, ‘‘You have cancer’’.
Having battled the disease as a teenager, the Werribee mother of two knows well how cancer can impact on lives.
Mrs Lunardi was 15 when she was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma – a form of cancer that typically afflicts teenagers and is often misdiagnosed as “growing pains” or a sports injury because of the gradual onset that may begin in soft tissue or bone.
Her diagnosis was followed by months of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiation treatment and the difficult decision of whether to freeze some of her ovarian tissue so she could one day have children.
“I never really thought about the gravity and severity of the situation at the time,’’ Mrs Lunardi says. ‘‘At the time, I just did what I had to do to cope.
“I was fortunate that I never really had to deal with death and mortality during my treatment, but I have lost friends that I made.”
In October, Mrs Lunardi will join thousands of other cancer survivors, their friends and families for the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
The two-day, 200-kilometre ride from Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula raises money for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
“I believe a cure for cancer is out there. We just have to throw enough money at it,” Mrs Lunardi says.
This year’s event will be her second ride, after taking part with her younger siblings and aunt last year. “My brother raised about $20,000, so I thought that if he can do that, I can have another crack’,” she says.
