A young family’s new life in Australia is off to a nightmare start after a horror medical diagnosis just two months after arriving.
Mishane Wright, a 28-year-old mother of a two-year-old boy, was looking forward to studying and a new career in 2023 after relocating from the Philippines to Sydney.
But a recent diagnosis has thrown her young family’s life plans into disarray.
In January, Sydney doctors diagnosed Mishane with a fast-spreading stage three tongue cancer which requires urgent surgery.
Now, her neck bulges with the tumour as her family and support network scramble to drum up the $80,000 needed to cover her treatment.
First One Education Migration Philippines – a Filipino/ Australian migrant resource service – has kicked off a fundraiser to help a family, whose migration status renders them ineligible for government-funded treatment.
According to the organisation, Mishane’s treatment will involve removing and reconstructing a part of her tongue and neck dissection to remove her lymph node and tumours.
She will then need to undergo chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
“Unfortunately, the health insurance for students does not cover all medical procedures, and we will be needing funds for hospital bills and surgery, which would cost about $70,000-$80,000,” the fundraiser organisers said.
The news was tragically unexpected for Mishane, who was treated with antibiotics only a couple of months ago for what Filipino doctors suspected was only an infection.
But a check-up to renew her script for antibiotics in Australia turned her life upside down.
Mishane told news.com.au of her shock when Australian doctors revealed it was indeed late-stage cancer.
“I was very shocked. I was heartbroken. I was anxious. To be honest. I’m crying every day,” she said.
“I never thought that it as cancer. I just it was an ordinary sore.”
Medical documents seen by news.com.au describe Mishane’s cancer a “potentially curable” but stress the need for “urgent” treatment.
Friends and family in the Philippines have already begun efforts to raise money with a motoring event organised for late February.
If you wish to support Mishane and her family, you can do so here.
Story Credit: news.com.au