As a busy 41-year-old woman, getting her breasts checked was not high on Michelle's priority list. She only mentioned in passing to her GP that she had felt a tiny lump in her breast, but it led to the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer.
"It was not just the pea-shaped lump that concerned doctors, but a total of ten tumours that were detected across both breasts," Michelle recalls.
"I remember the doctor saying it looked like wildfire across my chest."
Michelle's battle with breast cancer included a bilateral mastectomy, intensive chemotherapy and radiation. Now, a year after her diagnosis, she has finished her active treatment but remains on hormone therapy.
Cancer continues to take a heavy toll on Australians like Michelle, with the annual number of diagnosed cases increasing by 93% over the last 25 years and expected to surpass 200,000 a year by 2034, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
While cancer strikes across all ages, it is becoming more commonly diagnosed in Australians in their 30s and 40s.
With the widespread use of breast screening in Australia, there are many more cases being detected at an earlier stage today in comparison to 20 years ago, says Professor Chris Pyke, breast surgeon and Acting Chief Medical Officer at Mater.
"Research into early detection, recurrence and new drugs in treatment will make a big difference in the future and is an important area of focus for Mater researchers and clinicians," Professor Pyke says.
The Mater Foundation has funded crucial Australian cancer research for more than 20 years, supporting ground-breaking medical research and leading patient care services in the community.
Mater Foundation provided more than $45.3 million of funding for projects across Mater in the 2024/25 financial year, supporting Mater Health, Mater Education and Mater Research.
While supporting critical Australia cancer research, the Mater Cars for Cancer lottery no. 126 also offers the chance to get behind the wheel of an amazing Toyota Tundra Limited, towing a Vacationer Roughrider 216C caravan.
Valued at $165,793, the Toyota Tundra Limited is a super-size dual-cab ute backed by Toyota's unmatched reputation and rugged reliability, setting a new benchmark for power, refinement and functionality.
The Toyota Tundra packs a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo hybrid petrol motor, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and an automatic limited-slip differential. There's also the benefit of LED headlamps.
Creature comforts extend from 8-way power-adjustable heated and ventilated front seats to a 14-inch colour touchscreen, 12.3-inch colour multi-information display and 12-speaker JBL premium audio.
Hitched up behind is the Vacationer Roughrider caravan, an off-road dream designed to match the grunt of the Tundra with next-level luxury and capability. Big on space, style and comfort, it’s the perfect partner for the most epic escapes.
Valued at $175,000, the Vacationer Roughrider caravan with the Meanderwild styling package sports AL-KO ENDURO X manual premium air-ride suspension for getting off the beaten track.
It also features a robust Vacationer-exclusive engineered truss chassis, Raptor-painted chassis and 16-inch Wrath rims matched with Mickey Thompson Baja Boss all-terrain 265/75r16 tyres.
For travelling in style, the caravan includes a full ensuite with external hot/cold shower and queen island bed plus two bunks. Mod-cons include a 270-litre compressor fridge/freezer, twin induction stove, air-fryer/microwave, washing machine and airconditioning.
A huge $120K in cashable gold bullion rounds this an incredible $460K first prize package, to help finance the ultimate off-road great escape.
Every Mater Cars for Cancer lottery ticket goes into the draw for the chance to win the ultimate first prize package, while every three tickets purchased includes an entry into the bonus Multi Ticket $5,000 draw.
VIPs with a monthly membership gain automatic entry into all Cars for Cancer draws, as well as with exclusive VIP draws for $1,000 gift cards and $10,000 in cashable gold bullion.
Along with the chance to win such an amazing prize, the Mater Cars for Cancer lottery helps support Australians like Michelle tackle their cancer diagnosis.
Optimistic about her future, Michelle is now passionate about raising breast cancer awareness and emphasising the importance of early detection.
"I don't live in ‘what if's’, but who knows what my journey would have been like if I had got checked 12 months earlier," Michelle says.
"For me, there's a lot of peace of mind from my treatment journey and knowing about the research that has come before me, and is being done now, at Mater."
