Natalie Denyer, a 35-year old bank branch manager from Engadine will be attempting the Blackmores Bridge Run this Sunday in memory of her mother and mother-in-law.
Natalie was pregnant with her third child when she lost both women to cancer in the space of four months.
She will be running the 9km race to raise funds for Cancer Council NSW and her employer Suncorp Bank will match dollar for dollar all funds that Natalie raises up to $500.
The Sydney Running Festival marks two-and-a-half years since Natalie lost her mother and a time that tested their entire family.
Just before Christmas of 2008, Natalie’s mum Cheryl felt a lump in her breast. An ultrasound confirmed their worst fears: Cheryl had breast cancer.
“Mum knew straight away that it was cancer. She went with her bags packed to the surgeon, and although the doctor said she could delay the surgery for a week, mum didn’t see the point in waiting and she had surgery that very afternoon,” Natalie said.
Cheryl had her breast and seventeen lymph nodes removed, and then underwent chemotherapy.
In January 2011, Natalie’s mother-in-law Lyn was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
“It was a hard time for my husband Laurie and myself as both our mums were diagnosed with cancer, we had our daughter Neve and our son Lawson, plus I was pregnant.
“My father-in-law Larry stayed at the hospital with Lyn and didn’t leave her side.”
Ten months later in November 2011, Lyn passed away.
“We found out two days after Lyn’s funeral that my mum was terminal. By then, the cancer was back in mum’s lymph nodes and had moved to her lungs and liver,” said Natalie, reflecting on the news that no daughter wants to hear.
“The doctors weren’t too concerned about the lung as the cancer there was slow growing, but they were worried about the liver.”
In March 2012, Cheryl went into hospital.
“We thought the new treatment was working but mum said she wasn’t feeling good and the doctors confirmed she wasn’t doing well,” remembers Natalie.
“It was a shock as we were hoping the treatment would give her another six months or so.
“In hospital, mum asked me a lot about Lyn as I think she was preparing herself for what was to come. Mum watched her body shutdown and it was awful.”
Nineteen weeks to the day of the family losing Lyn, Cheryl passed away.
“We all knew with the threat of cancer that we may lose her, but I always stayed positive as I couldn’t have lived thinking she was going to die.
“The grief afterwards was overwhelming, but in some ways it was better that it all happened at once.
“Our whole family grieved together and it brought my marriage closer because we understood what each other were going through, and we had to pull together for our children.”
Natalie says one of the hardest parts two-and-a-half years on is knowing that her kids Neve, six, Lawson, four, and Shae, two, are growing up without their grandmothers.
“Mum and Lyn would have doted on them, especially being there for birthdays and school events,” Natalie said.
“I don’t want to be one of those people, ‘oh she lost her mum’. I fundraise to keep Mum and Lyn’s memories alive and to help make a difference.
“I’ve been involved with the Cancer Council Relay for Life four times, and in the year after our mum’s passed away we raised over $9,000 as everyone knew our story.
“I did the Blackmores Bridge Run last year and this year, as branch manager, my team is donating $400 of an internal prize we won for our hard work, and Suncorp Bank is matching this dollar for dollar.”
Natalie is encouraging Australians to join in the fun of the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival on Sunday.
To donate to Natalie visit: sydneyrunningfestival.com.au