Community
2 May, 2025
Ambassador shows the value of mammograms
WARRNAMBOOL mother of three Shellie White had no idea anything was wrong until a routine mammogram found she had breast cancer.
Shellie wasn’t sick, she didn’t have any family history of breast cancer and had no inkling anything was amiss – but responding to that letter in the mail saved her life.
Shellie, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2023 and spent an intensive year battling the disease, has been chosen as ambassador for the 2025 Warrnambool Mother’s Day Classic on Sunday, May 11.
She said her experience shows the benefits of having a regular mammogram.
“I just got a letter in the mail saying that I could get a mammogram so decided to make the appointment,” she said.
“It was picked up here in Warrnambool and I was sent to the breast screening clinic in Geelong to have a biopsy done and about two days later I got the news.
“It was a big shock. I hadn’t been feeling unwell and there’s no history of it in my family but it goes to show the importance of following through on those letters.”
Shellie started treatment in early March, with weekly chemo for three months, followed by surgery in June then radiation and more chemo until the following February.
She is now on medication but has fully recovered and is back feeling well and enjoying life.
The hardest part of the diagnosis was telling people, especially her three children.
“Even though they’re adults, telling them was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” she said.
“They were all amazing and handled it really well. I was very lucky to have wonderful support from my husband Tony, my children Tess, Millie and Harry, and my broader family.”
The 12 months of intensive therapy was tough but Shellie kept a positive outlook.
“It can be gruelling and the side-effects are nasty at times but they are just part of it; I’d like to think I handled it pretty well,” she said.
“There were no days where I was totally negative. I remained fairly positive throughout the whole process and all the health professionals who looked after me were amazing.”
Shellie joined the Mother’s Day Classic after being diagnosed and it’s something she will never stop doing.
“It’s such a great cause. The more people that partake in these events, the more money there will be for research and it helps people going through cancer with better treatment options.
“Hopefully one day there will be zero deaths from ovarian and breast cancer.”
The 2025 Mother’s Day Classic will be held on Sunday, May 11 starting at the Carnival Site on Pertobe Road (next to the Beach Kiosk).
The seven kilometre run will start at 9am and the three kilometre walk at 9.05am.
People can register at: https://www.mothersdayclassic.com.au/event/mothers-day-classic-warrnambool.
