By Brendan Rees
At just 33, Megan Jordan is in the fight of her life.
The doting Narre Warren mum of 10 was diagnosed with cervical cancer 12 months ago and now doctors have told her it’s terminal.
After undergoing months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she believed she was in the clear. Then, recently, while in lockdown, doctors delivered the devastating news that the cancer had returned in a more aggressive form while she was 26 weeks pregnant.
Megan had one session of chemotherapy but had to stop the treatment until her baby was born at 32 weeks due to the potential risk of harm to her unborn child.
She now has six to 12 months to live but there is one last glimmer of hope for the brave mum as doctors attempt immunotherapy treatment, a type of drug treatment that uses the body’s own immune system to fight cancer.
It is different to chemotherapy, which works by killing cancer cells. However, the rate of success varies depending on the type of cancer, but doctors hope it will prolong Megan’s diagnosis and offer her more time with her kids.
Among those touched by Megan’s heartbreaking ordeal is friend Brooke Moller of Pakenham, who has launched a GoFundMe.
Despite having never met in person, the pair began chatting six years ago via Brooke’s Facebook page called ‘Mum Life Australia – You Got This!’ a social page for mums to connect.
Brooke said the fundraiser was the least she could do to help Megan whom she described as a “genuinely nice person”.
“We’ve never met up and had a coffee or hung out,” she said. “We don’t do barbecues together. It’s just that for me, the second I saw that on her own Facebook (page), she was trying to fund her own funeral so she’s not leaving any debt to her kids, that broke my heart that no one stepped up and took that burden off her. And I thought, I can’t let her carry that.
“I got in contact with her and were talking on the phone. I said, ‘You know, I can do this. And she said, ‘Would you do that? And I said, ‘Of course’.”
Brooke said Megan was a “beautiful devoted mum”, but sadly had a small support system.
Through her GoFundMe, Brooke hopes to raise $8000 to fulfil Megan’s last wishes which is to take her kids to the Gold Coast one day, go camping, visit a water park, and have a professional family photo taken. As of 23 September, $5260 had been raised so far.
As a photographer, Brooke said she can make Megan’s family photo dream come true but is rallying to raise more money in Megan’s brave battle of the disease.
For Megan, who is a mum to 10 beautiful children aged 15, 11, 10, 9, 8, 6, 5, as well as two 13-year-olds, and an eight month old, “these will be lasting memories they’ll hold close to their hearts forever,” Brooke wrote on her GoFundMe page.
“Know that your support and generosity to help make these final wishes come true is something Megan and her children will be forever grateful for.”
To donate to the GoFundM, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/megan-jordan039s-last-wish-appeal?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all
