A few days after her 31st birthday, and only a week before she and her husband were scheduled to fly to Europe, Ellie received the devastating diagnosis of Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC).
Finding a lump in her left breast by complete accident, Ellie decided to get it checked after keeping an eye on it for three weeks. The devastating diagnosis saw her embark on months of intensive chemotherapy to fight aggressive breast cancer.
The risk factor in her family was high, with both her father's sisters passing away from breast cancer almost 40 years ago. Even so, Ellie lived a fit and healthy lifestyle, so an aggressive breast cancer diagnosis came as a complete shock.
"When I heard those words, I just thought, 'no, this isn’t happening to me'," Ellie says.
Genetic testing revealed she had inherited a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, meaning her risk of developing breast cancer and other cancers was markedly increased.
The week following her diagnosis was a whirlwind of meetings with surgeons, planning for chemotherapy, cancelling travel plans and – was most daunting of all – thinking about how she could best safeguard the future of her family.
Unfortunately, Ellie's story is all too common. Every day, more than 55 Australian women hear the devastating words "You have breast cancer"*. Meanwhile, eight* women – mothers, daughters, sisters and friends – tragically lose their fight against the disease each day.
Triple-negative breast cancer is an invasive cancer which tends to grow fast, and can be difficult to control with chemotherapy. In Queensland, it only accounts for around 10 per cent of new breast cancer diagnoses, yet it is responsible for half of all early deaths in women under 40**.
Dr Jodi Saunus, Senior Research Fellow at Mater Research, focuses a large part of her research into developing new therapeutics for young Australian women with breast cancer.
"Younger women with breast cancer face some unique challenges around their treatment," Dr Saunus says.
"The sort of research that we're doing now holds great hope for the younger generation in their twenties and thirties if they're in a risk category."
The Mater Foundation has helped fund this kind of crucial Australian cancer research for more than 20 years, supporting ground-breaking medical research and leading patient care services in the community.
In 2023, Mater Foundation Queensland provided more than $30.9 million in funding for projects across Mater Health, Mater Education and Mater Research.
The Mater Cars for Cancer lottery supports Australian cancer research and assists people like Dr Saunus in developing world-leading cancer treatment options for Australians like Ellie.
While supporting critical Australia cancer research, the Mater Cars for Cancer lottery also offers the chance to get behind the wheel of an amazing RAM 1500 TRX Final Edition, towing a Custom Wildtrail Caravan.
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Every Mater Cars for Cancer lottery ticket goes into the draw to win the ultimate first prize package, while every three tickets purchased includes an entry into the bonus Multi Ticket $5,000 Coles Myer Voucher draw.
VIPs with a monthly membership gain automatic entry into all Cars for Cancer draws, along with exclusive VIP draws for $1,000 gift cards and $10,000 in cashable gold bullion.
Along with the chance to win such an amazing prize, the Mater Cars for Cancer lottery helps support Australians like Ellie in their battle with cancer.
After six months of intensive chemotherapy, Ellie decided to have a double mastectomy to ward off her cancer's return.
"That was a really hard decision for me. But the anxiety of having the breast cancer come back just wasn't worth it for our family," Ellie says.
"I never thought this would happen to me, let alone at such a young age. If you have a family history, get tested. You are never too young to start checking your breasts."
* National Breast Cancer Foundation statistics
** New study published by Dr Saunus and colleagues: "Capturing breast cancer subtypes in cancer registries: insights into real-world incidence and survival" (2025)
