At 13 my Nanna had breast cancer aged 65. She lost her battle 9 years later.

My mum was 44 when she got breast cancer; she was nursing her mum with secondary cancer and having chemo at the same time. In my early 30's I had numerous lumps biopsied, 4 in total. This turned out to be all benign. So I thought the 5th biopsy at 36 years of age, was going to have the same outcome.

I can still remember those dreadful words, over the phone. "You have breast cancer". Not something a young mum of 2 teenagers wants to hear.

My mum was over from New Zealand on holidays, she was next to me listening to the results. My mum collapsed and for 3 days didn’t regain her strength. I thought she would have been strong but this "curse" had broken her soul. Our family has endured breast cancer for nearly 150 years.

We tackled this problem as a family, head on. I had a double mastectomy followed by reconstruction. To this day I have never had a reoccurrence. Something I am grateful of, everyday. 12 years on, free from breast cancer. My genetic specialist asked me to go on a high risk program for my Ovaries. I agreed and started the screening process.

First ultrasound and they had found something. Numerous doctors were brought in and the news wasn't good. They had found a massive tumour on one ovary that beared a strong resemblance to cancer. Not only has our family struggled against breast cancer but ovarian cancer also.

I prayed for my life, I wanted to see my darling daughter walk down the aisle in her beautiful Pink Gown we picked together, I wanted to see my son graduate uni.... was I asking too much. Quietly I held my husband’s hand and wished for a good outcome.

I woke from my surgery feeling a large 20cm scar, I asked the nurse my results. She said my doctor and family had the results. As I was being wheeled out of the hospital corridor to my room. My crazy family all 10 of them were screaming running down the corridor.... saying it wasn’t cancer... it wasn’t cancer. I had been given a second chance. Many women in my family had never had that. Apparently the theatre staff cheered in surgery, when the results came through.

I had both my ovaries removed and went straight into menopause. Menopause isn’t the most pleasant experience... but I would rather have menopause than cancer.

Throughout this whole process my daughter was also experiencing her own journey. She was diagnosed with BRCA1 and in turn realised her own fate. After watching my surgery and seeing the scars her Nan carried she made the brave decision to have a preventive double mastectomy. It nearly didn’t go to plan after her doctors found "changing cells” and rushed her in for the surgery immediately.

I was nursing my daughter through the very same surgery every woman I have ever loved had been through. I was numb, anxiety ridden and angered "when would this end". Krystal is my best friend, my little mate, my buddy, my strength, she tells me what’s right and wrong, sometimes I feel like she is the mother... she teaches me so much. She is such a good girl, caring loving and adoring of me... just being her mother is the greatest gift I have been given in life.

I watched her grief, her pain, her anxiety, her courage and out of all this came a good result. Now all we want is for this "curse" to end for the women in my family.

Krystal is an angel needed by many, Krystal is Pink Hope.