At CRBF we have the privilege of working with remarkable individuals every day of the week.

A plethora of adjectives fall short of accurately describing the sarcoma patients we work for.   Inspirational, remarkable, resilient, outstanding, courageous.  Each of these words go some way toward describing those we know who are living with a sarcoma diagnosis.

Georgie Kats is one such young woman.  This young Advertising Director’s story not only resonates deeply, it serves as a stark reminder when we face adversity in life, it is up to us as to the extent that adversity defines us.  For Georgie, that choice was clear, it was to embrace the hand of cards she has been dealt.  In her own words “I’m choosing to live a happy and fulfilled life. It may not be exactly how I imagined it to be. But I am happy and grateful to just be living each day. Perspective is a beautiful thing.”

I remember reading about Georgie.  I reread the article (link below) over and over.  I felt an overwhelming sense of sadness and angst  – not from her words, but from what she has been forced to endure, at what arguably should have been one of the happiest times of her life.  The family photos of Georgie, her husband Chris, and her precious daughter Antonia, resonated so deeply with me, as I expect they did with everyone who read this article.

Amidst the horror of a sarcoma diagnosis was a love story. The love between two young people, and the unconditional love for their newborn daughter.

An unremarkable bump on Georgie’s foot appeared toward the end of the pregnancy.  Listening to sage advice from her mum, she did the right thing, and immediately brought it to the attention of her gynaecologist who felt it was nothing more than a cyst which could be addressed post pregnancy.  The cyst however continued to grow, after the birth of Antonia, Georgie sought advice from her GP, who concurred it was most likely a cyst, and referred her to an orthopaedic specialist, who also felt the lump, which was now significant in size, was in fact a cyst.

It was not until the cyst began to interfere with Georgie’s favourite shoes, she decided to have it removed.  It was once this procedure began, the clinician realised he was dealing with something sinister, and arranged a battery of tests and scans.  A localized Myxoid Liposarcoma was diagnosed.

28 sessions of radiation began, followed by surgery, which resulted in partial limb amputation to enable life saving radical margins, and a very promising prognosis.

You couldn’t blame Georgie if she felt bitter, cheated, and disillusioned after a Myxoid Liposarcoma diagnosis was confirmed months after the birth of her first child, Antonia.  For those of us who have been blessed with children, we all remember the euphoria of those magical months post birth.  For Georgie, and her partner Chris however, it was bittersweet rollercoaster, as the challenges and reality of a sarcoma diagnosis were realised.

Georgie, and Chris have become the poster couple for positivity, and love conquering all.

Georgie has become a great advocate for our younger patients,  sensibly educating others through social media, encouraging young people to take charge of their bodies –“ I want young adults to take control of their health. We have to grow up and learn to notice if something changes and doesn’t feel or look right.  Educate yourself and be proactive with your health. Because at the end of the day none of us are invincible and we are never too young.”

The takeaways from this story are endless.  Three separate clinican’s visits all with the same outcome.  Georgie’s persistence arguably saved her life.  She personifies the issues that are all too common.  Sarcomas are rare cancers, they are sinister, and they are often misdiagnosed.  Valuable time can often be wasted until the correct diagnosis is made.  It is so very important to know your own body, and if a lump or bump appears without reason, and it does not go away, it needs to be checked by a physician.

If you are not happy with management of an unexplained lump or bump, it is your right to seek a second opinion.  You are your own best advocate.

The final word in this article however, should be left to Georgie.

“When I lost my leg to cancer. I had no idea what to expect. As they were wheeling me into surgery in early May 2020, I just cried the whole way into the operating room. Even when they were putting me to sleep I remember tears were streaming down my cheeks. The sadness was overwhelming.

After the surgery was an adjustment. Especially during the first few days when I would forget I only had one foot and would fall straight on my behind. Then a week or so later I found myself smiling and I remember thinking to myself, you just got your leg chopped off why are you smiling. But then I thought. Why shouldn’t I smile? It’s a privilege to do so. It’s a privilege to still be alive.

I don’t know what my future holds. But I don’t feel disabled. I feel alive. I feel strong. I feel capable.“

We wish Georgie, Chris and Antonia all the wonderful things life has in store…

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8386437/Soft-tissue-sarcoma-Georgie-Kats-welcomes-child-battles-rare-cancer-loses-leg-32.html

Follow Georgie on Instagram @Georgie_Kats

Those who know our family, know us as an AFL and rugby family, however those who truly knew Coop, also knew he was a passionate foundation supporter of the Melbourne Storm.

Cooper never wavered in his passion for the Storm, and loved nothing more than a spirited game of League – so long as his beloved Storm came out on top.

When the generous offer came from the NRL to host an intimate, invitation only Chairman’s dinner for 50 guests, it represented a superb opportunity to raise awareness and funding for sarcoma, whilst celebrating the game Cooper had come to love since he was a small boy. 

After my first meeting at NRL HQ, I was simply in awe of the lengths all those I met, were willing to go to in order to assist CRBF in optimising this opportunity. 

 The can-do attitude filters from the top down at the NRL, and there is a culture which I found overwhelmingly refreshing.  Each person I dealt with was truly accommodating, helpful and understanding.  My requests were numerous, and I was never at any stage made to feel an annoyance, when each of these people were juggling the rigours of finals – their busiest and most intense time of the year.

 Then there were the ‘Legends of League’.  One can be forgiven for feeling a little apprehensive when dealing with an illustrious group of sportsmen, who represented some of the best players this sport has produced.   

The absence of the often- present sense of entitlement which can accompany sportsmen of this stature, was a breath of fresh air.  Wayne Pearce, Steve Roach, Steve Edge, Brad Fittler, Michael Ennis, Anthony Minichiello, Braith Anasta, and Daly Cherry-Evans dined and engaged with our guests, in an effortless manner.  Each volunteered their time, and their highly entertaining stories, and in doing so, thoroughly endeared themselves to those who spent time with them.  I suspect I will continue to field emails from our high profile corporate attendees for some time, extending their thanks to each of these legends of the game of rugby league.

It is of note, the media has been littered with less than flattering commentary and images relating to Rugby League over past months, and it is nigh on impossible to find a newspaper article, or television coverage, that does not focus on the negative.  As such, it is disappointing to note the media was unable to cover this event, and to broadcast the infinite positives rugby league brings to the community as a whole. This event was but one shining example of  eight outstanding legends of the sport, quietly, and without fanfare, willingly giving their time to raise money for a cancer that has by and large been forgotten, and statistically, is unlikely to ever affect them or their families.  There was no hidden agenda, but instead a willingness to place their ‘celebrity’ behind the cause.

 Thanks to the generosity of the NRL and these outstanding legends of the game, we are today $33,000 closer to finding a cure for sarcoma,(and climbing daily), and in doing so, the sport of rugby league has provided untold hope for those young patients who walk this road behind Cooper.

 Your kindness, and your willingness to shine the light on sarcoma will never be forgotten…

Walkley Award winning ABC journalist and producer, Lesley Robinson has worked in current affairs for more than fifteen years, working for the ABC Foreign Correspondent, ABC News and Australia Television, before joining the 7.30 Report.  This year Lesley put yet another jewel in the crown at the ABC by adding her highly successful style of journalism to the Four Corners team.

Lesley lovingly and respectfully produced Cooper’s story which was aired on the 7.30 Report on January 15 this year, and had spent an enormous amount of time with him filming him for the proposed story.  Cooper had so much time for Lesley.  He saw her as a serious journalist, and one who could reliably portray the perils of a sarcoma patient, but he also saw her as a very genuine and kind woman, and a devoted mother – someone he could trust.  Coop was happy to have Lesley and her crew to film him doing what he loved over a period of many months.

Lesley became very close to Coop, and understood him well.  He in return, forged a strong bond with her, and allowed her to see the raw reality behind the diagnosis, something he did not do with many.  Lesley became very special to Coop and to our family over the months prior to his passing, and afterwards.

Three weeks ago, I was alerted by a third party, to the distressing fact, the precious, and largely unseen footage of Cooper had gone missing.

This footage bore the closing months of Cooper’s life, at a time when he was still happy, upbeat, and hell-bent on conquering his condition.  We were not yet to the point where our family were able to watch this footage, however we were comforted by the fact the ABC had made the decision to give it to us, when they were under no legal obligation to do so.

After the year that has been for our family, this was indeed the final straw.  The past three weeks have been simply heart breaking, as we exhausted all avenues in an attempt to locate these files, and in doing so, being met by obstacle after obstacle. It did feel at times like the most bitter of blows after losing Coop.  There were days where it felt very hard to breath as we contemplated the extent and gravity of this situation.

As Coop declined, we would never allow any cameras, ours or others, around him.  He despised his decline, and it was not something that we felt, should ever be captured.  The footage taken just weeks prior to this however, showed a very different young man, facing his challenges in the same fashion as he had for eighteen long months.

Last night, out of sheer desperation, I contacted Lesley, who I had not wanted to bother with this issue.  As a producer, Lesley is not expected to keep rushes (raw footage) whilst filming a story, so I felt it may cause her angst to be made aware of the situation.  She responded in a very timely manner to tell me she felt there may be hope, as she often keeps copies of ‘important or precious’ footage.  At 6.53 last night I received a message from Lesley saying she had the files.

There are simply no words that can express the extent and depth of our gratitude to Lesley.

Suffice to say we will never be able to adequately thank her for returning these precious memories to us…