Danielle Ozolins never felt very comfortable asking for help.
The 49-year-old Sydney mum now feels more loved and supported than ever before after being told she had just months to live.
“My husband and I have been together since we were 19. We’ve got the most amazing marriage and it’s put a toll on us at times” she said.
“We’ve got an amazing community around us of friends.”
The friends of the Ozolin family are uniting in support as they join Remember September, an effort focused on raising funds and awareness for pancreatic cancer research.
Greg has committed to walking 75km in September for his wife and so many others like her.
She said her diagnosis and fundraising has reconnected her with friends and loved ones.
“I’ve never asked for help for anything in my life, but now people are taking me to appointments because they want to feel like they’re helping and it takes the pressure off my husband and my sister,” Ozolins explained.
“And that took like 10 months for Greg and I to be comfortable with accepting that.”
Ozolins also took the vulnerable step of sharing her cancer experience on social media.
Remarkably, it led to an old friend discovering she had pancreatic cancer, too.
“She privately messaged me and said, ‘I didn’t even think about my pancreas. And I went and got tested and I’ve got pancreatic cancer’,” she said.
The mum-of-two is feeling hopeful and positive.
Her stoic exterior belies her fear – but Ozolins wants to find purpose in her pain.
“If it’s a five-year survival rate, then that’s a win. And then we go from there,” she added.
“I’m hoping my personal story will trigger people to actually put their money where their mouth is.
“Every drip makes a lake and makes this possible.”
