By Ethan Benedicto
Tackling cancer will never be an easy journey, both physically and mentally, but for Deborah Terkely, it’s what came after that truly changed the course of her life.
Thyroid cancer took over Deborah’s life when she was diagnosed in late 2022, with surgery closely following in January 2023, leaving her with a long, 13-centimetre scar that ran from the top of her neck to its base.
However, it didn’t take long for Deborah and her family to formulate and develop a natural skin serum, its ingredients tailored to address the scarring.
“The cancer had spread from my thyroid to my lymph nodes on the left side of my neck, which is why the scar was so big,” Deborah said.
“The surgery was around six and a half hours, and obviously, I wanted the cancer out, and the scar was going to be a result of that surgery.
“Of course, the most important thing is that it’s removed, but we wanted to make a serum to heal myself for my benefit.”
For over 25 years, Deborah and her family had been making soaps and scents, a process that began with her mother-in-law to treat sensitive skin and eczema.
The tradition easily found its way to Deborah’s hands, which led to her proficiency in blending natural oils and ingredients.
Deborah had been running her own small business before the surgery, and while it took a toll during her recovery period, it also allowed for the chance of growth.
“I had just turned 40, so we thought, you know, let’s give it a go,” she said, speaking on the decision to make the skin serum.
“After having the tape removed (post-surgery), the wound had closed, and I started applying our serum – within three months, it had completely healed to like, a pencil line.
“There was never any intention to release the product as part of our line; it was personally just for me,” she said.
The serum itself was a culmination of experience from Deborah and her family, brought into action through the fear that she felt when she had been diagnosed.
“I was scared I was going to die,” she said.
“I’ve got two young kids, and I had to stay strong for them because I didn’t know if, when I was tucking them into bed at night, if I’d be here in six months.
“It was emotionally challenging, and it still is; it’s not something that you just get over.
“Even speaking to people about the product, whether it be at markets or retailers, it’s all a part of the healing process.”
Deborah had been a strong advocate for cancer awareness since her diagnosis and treatment, having spoken at a series of forums and local events, with the goal of sharing her journey and her physical and mental healing process.
On that same note, there is acknowledgement, from herself and others, that the physical healing properties of the serum are known, but it was also the mental crutch it provided that was crucial for Deborah’s journey.
“The skin therapy is very personal to me and my journey, and I just have an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and joy when other people experience the results,” she said.
“I want people who’ve purchased the product to get in touch with me, to tell me their feedback.
“It really gives me a sense of validation, and just again, that feeling of gratitude that I’m doing a good thing in this world and helping people.”
Once the positive results on herself became more well-known and the word travelled, it didn’t take long for others to request that it be on the shelves.
Once the demand became clear, so too did Deborah’s mind; she said that it would have been a “disservice for us not to look after” the people with the product.
Listed on their website, the serum’s ingredients include: hemp seed oil, emu oil, jojoba oil, wheatgerm oil, avocado oil, evening primrose oil, myrrh and geranium essential oils.
While Deborah has – understandably – kept the key secret ingredients and the mixing method a secret, the combined properties of these oils, which include anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and skin-regenerative, can collectively contribute to improved skin healing, as well as the reduction of scar prominence.
For Deborah personally, she said that she never noticed how much it had improved until she went for a regular check-up with her surgeon.
It was there he asked, “what have you been using? You’ve healed incredibly fast”.
“He also said that it looked really good for a six-week-old scar, and it was that moment that was like, oh hold on, what we’ve made is working,” she said.
Looking ahead, Deborah is keen on growing her business, but also more than eager to share her journey and her perseverance through a difficult time in her lif
