Celia Hammond (Curtin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier this month, I joined 80 women and men at the North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club to listen to three incredible women speak and raise awareness about breast health. It was also an opportunity to support the Harry Perkins Institute through the Walk for Women's Cancer. Established in 1998, the institute recently made headlines through the discovery of a gene that causes one of the deadliest forms of breast cancer. This is a significant breakthrough which will save thousands of lives. At the club, we heard from Dr Jenny Rogers, a GP from my electorate; and Dr Anita Bourke, a dual trained nuclear physician and senior breast radiologist. These two expert speakers were joined by a young woman—the organiser of the event, in fact—called Frances Endersby.

Frances—or Frannie, as we like to call her—works in my electorate office. Frannie was diagnosed in July last year with breast cancer—a triple-positive invasive ductal. At the time, Frannie was 32. It was inspiring to watch the Frannie we know and love courageously and positively navigate the new world her diagnosis brought upon her. I'm pleased to report that Frannie is now well and is devoting her considerable energy to raising our awareness of women's health. She's also rocking a fantastic pixie haircut as her hair grows back!