Our dear Jane was a remarkable person who was an inspiration to many and loved by all who met her. Beautiful, caring and funny, she would walk in and light up a room. A gifted interior designer by profession with a great sense of style, her creative talents extended well beyond her passion for residential design to include exquisite cooking, entertaining, flowers and table arrangements. She also had an exceptional dress sense with a particular passion for hats. However Jane was no princess but rather a people person, with no pretentions and with a generous spirit. She also loved our animals, Cooper and Jovi, the two Golden Retrievers, Pipi the horse and the 2 cockatiels (Codan and Lucky).
In April 2016 while on a trip into the Queensland Outback, Jane began experiencing pain in her liver. On her return, she underwent numerous tests over 2 weeks which resulted in her being diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a very rare and aggressive bile duct cancer with no cure. With secondaries already present, the only option was chemotherapy which began on May 25th.
For more than 6 months, the first line chemo held the disease at bay and Jane was also able to keep her hair, being the first person in Queensland to use the Paxman scalp cooling cap during chemo. Visits to the hairdresser every 6 weeks or so gave Jane a wonderful sense of normality. Jane also continued to work on her interior design jobs throughout this period. Despite various symptoms, she endeavoured to live life as normally as possible.
In late November, we went to the races in Melbourne but by mid December, pain led to a CT Scan and, to our dismay, confirmation of renewed growth of the primary tumour. Chemo was stopped but Jane was determined to celebrate Christmas normally with friends. In January, after the commencement of second line chemo, Jane's condition started to deteriorate but she remained stoic and brave despite the pain and ultimate hopelessness. A sudden and unexpected stroke was the final blow and 16 days later, on 4th February 2017, she died at the age of 63.
It had been a cruel roller coaster ride over 9 months and throughout it she had been brave and courageous despite all that was thrown at her. Jane had so much more to give and she leaves a gigantic hole in our lives.
Jane was a caring person who put others before herself. She would have wanted to help those who follow her with rare cancers. Your donation to Rare Cancers Australia on Jane's behalf is a fitting tribute.