The Big C

Join us as we talk to Bron Watson. Bron is mum to five boys, a career in nursing for over 30 years. After spending decades caring for cancer patients, Bron became the patient herself when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, going from diagnosis to surgery in just six days. Five years later, just as Bron was waiting for breast reconstruction, she received a second diagnosis: multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that is currently considered incurable. We talk about “incurable” vs “terminal”, telling her five boys about her diagnosis at different ages, and why she believes we need to be more curious when someone has cancer — asking questions, acknowledging what they’re going through and not being afraid to talk about it. Bron also shares why patients need to become the CEO of their own healthcare, and how “I am as good as my last blood test” has become part of how she navigates life with cancer. At the heart of this conversation is Bron's energy for the “what's next” — continuing to live, advocate for herself, support others and make the most of the life in front of her. This is a powerful conversation about living with incurable cancer, finding your identity beyond a diagnosis, and learning to focus on what comes next.Some resources below:https://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/https://www.bcna.org.au/https://myeloma.org.au/

Join us as we talk to Sally Heys.Sal found a lump while washing her underarms — and just two weeks later found out she was pregnant. At just 8 weeks pregnant, Sal was diagnosed with breast cancer after initially being told the lump was probably “pregnancy boobs”.From what was initially thought to be early stage 1 cancer surgery revealed the cancer was actually Stage 3 HER2-positive, and suddenly the focus shifted from the baby to her own life.Sal takes us through the incredible reality chemotherapy while pregnant, including the guilt of giving her unborn baby chemo treatment she needed to survive.At 36 weeks, Louie — her “little warrior” — was born, and just three days later Sal had to begin immunotherapy.But this story doesn’t end when Louie arrives or treatment finishes. We talk about the mental health aftermath, the guilt, losing trust in your body, fertility uncertainty and why finishing cancer treatment doesn’t automatically bring the relief or “sparkle” people expect. Sal’s story is raw, honest and incredibly powerful — and a reminder that sometimes surviving is only the beginning.Some resources below:https://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/https://www.bcna.org.au/

Chris Clarke had just finished treatment and started to let himself think about what came next when he was told there was another tumor. This conversation is about that specific moment and what it does to you to hear it a second time, right when you thought you'd earned the right to move forward.

Join us as we talk to Carmen Scheffer.Carmen noticed a bruise on her leg during a family holiday — the kind of thing most of us wouldn't look at twice. Over eight weeks, it grew, changed shape, took the feeling from her skin, and turned black. She was told to do what we are do with a bruise, to ice it and elevate her leg. What doctors didn’t know at the time was, it was angiosarcoma, a rare cancer most people have never heard of.Weeks and months trying to get scans and answers led Carmen to fly home to Sydney for the care she couldn't get in Canada, and within a week had answers and a treatment plan. Fifteen rounds of chemo. A life changing above-knee amputation. Another nine more rounds of chemo. Then the hardest part began — mourning her body, her ability, the life she used to have — all while waiting for NDIS funding to receive a prosthesis just to start rebuilding. Two years on, she's looking at turning what she's been through into something for others: a platform that would give newly diagnosed sarcoma patients the practical guidance she wishes she'd had.This is a conversation about being dismissed, about fighting for a diagnosis across two health systems, and about how cancer changes people in ways many of us could never imagine.

Join us as we talk to Chris Clarke.Chris was 36, fit, healthy, and living an active life with his young family in Sydney’s Northern Beaches when a family holiday to Byron Bay changed everything. What started as a gastro bug quickly escalated into emergency hospital transfers, surgery, and a diagnosis that no one saw coming — Stage 4 bowel cancer.In this episode, Chris shares the raw reality of navigating a life-altering diagnosis with no symptoms, no family history, and no warning signs. Recorded while hooked up to his 12th and final round of chemotherapy, he opens up about undergoing major surgery, the physical and emotional toll of full-dose treatment, the invisible mental weight of cancer.Chris’s story is also one of extraordinary resilience and advocacy. Mid-treatment, he ran a full marathon coming off a chemo cycle and returned to treatment just two days later — raising over $20,000 for bowel cancer awareness in the process. Now, he’s using his voice to push for change, appearing in media, lobbying at Parliament House, and advocating for earlier screening access for young Australians.This episode is a powerful reminder that cancer doesn’t always look the way we expect it to — and that no symptoms does not mean no cancer.June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, and Chris’s story is one every young Australian needs to hear.Some resources and links below:https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/Fundraising: https://challenge.bowelcanceraustralia.org/page/ChrisClarke-94758725

Join us as we talk to Noel Carmona.Noel Angelo Carmona never expected a persistent cough to change his life. But after coughing to the point of unconsciousness, the Hunter Valley husband and father admitted himself to hospital — where he was diagnosed with Thymic Carcinoma, a rare cancer affecting just one in a million people in Australia.In this raw and powerful episode of The Big C Podcast, Noel shares the reality of navigating a cancer so rare there is no clear treatment roadmap. Over the past three years, he has undergone surgery, four types of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, two failed clinical trials, and radiation — all while facing the emotional, physical and financial toll of a system that often leaves rare cancer patients behind.Noel opens up about paying nearly $3,000 every three weeks for treatment not covered by the PBS, the heartbreak of failed clinical trials, and why he’s now using his voice to advocate for better access, awareness, and support for rare cancer patients across Australia.This episode is about resilience, family, mental health, and the fight for a fairer system — even when the odds are one in a million.Some resources below:https://www.rarecancers.org.au/https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DnJqAiFdw/?mibextid=wwXIfr https://www.facebook.com/share/g/14dybFgPcjV/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Join us as we talk to Anna Lowvey.Anna was a fit and healthy young mum from the Central Coast, NSW who had just celebrated her 30th birthday when her life changed in an instant after a sudden seizure which led to the discovery of a grade 3 astrocytoma. Ten weeks pregnant at the time, she needed to make the hardest decision to terminate the pregnancy in order to begin life-saving treatment.In this episode, Anna shares her journey through emergency brain surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, alongside a rare window of time where she was approved to travel with two months of oral chemo. Anna and her partner bought a caravan and travelled the south coast with their 3 year old daughter, living off-grid and creating meaningful memories together in the midst of uncertainty. This is a story of resilience, motherhood, loss, and what life looks like when treatment ends but you are living with incurable cancer.Some resources below:https://braincancergroup.com.au/https://www.cancer.org.au/types-of-cancer/brain-cancer

Join us as we talk to Jonathan Steffanoni.Jonathan's life changed suddenly after severe headaches and light sensitivity led to a scan revealing a 5cm brain lesion. Within 48 hours, Jonathan was undergoing emergency brain surgery. The diagnosis came after the procedure: incurable brain cancer.In this conversation, Jonathan shares the reality of what followed - from the shock of rapid intervention and diagnosis, to navigating ongoing uncertainty as recent scans suggest possible progression. He speaks openly about the cognitive and emotional changes he’s experiencing, including shifts in memory, identity, and how he moves through everyday life as a father to a young daughter.At the heart of this episode is a deeply human reflection on acceptance. Jonathan explores what it means to step away from the language of “fighting” cancer, and instead find a sense of peace in acceptance, even in the most confronting circumstances. He also sheds light on the unique challenges of brain cancer.This is a conversation about legacy, identity, and honesty in the face of uncertainty. It invites listeners to sit with discomfort, rethink what strength can look like, and understand that there is no single way to face a cancer diagnosis - only what is true for each individual journey.Some resources below:https://www.cancer.org.au/types-of-cancer/brain-cancer