In early November 2011 our lives changed when my mum got diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Â
She had next to no symptoms, other than a swollen lymph node in her groin which she thought it was because of a recent tick she had removed in that spot.
She was started on chemotherapy almost within the week due the severity of the cancer.
Being only just 15, I was confused. Chemotherapy treatment seemed to be this huge thing in the movies, how could this happen to MY mum?
She went on having her treatment for another 2 – 3 months, with horrible fatigue, sickness, loss of hair and motivation. It was horrible to see someone who was always so strong and active, be bed ridden and couldn’t move for days.
She pushed through and went into remission in 2012. We then went on to have a more sense of affection within our family. Almost losing mum then was a wake-up call.
Unfortunately, Mum relapsed in July of 2015 when she found a lump in her neck where the cancer had come back. She started chemotherapy again and was then booked in for a month-long hospital stay for a stem cell transplant in November. The transplant was a success, and she went back into remission in 2016.
At this point, I had moved 2 hours away to the city. But I was continually travelling back to Bunbury to see her. I noticed her and my dad going out and doing more, going on weekend trips away, festivals and parties. They were starting to make retirement plans, building a house in Dunsborough which would be their retirement home. I could see the love between them and the future they wanted to continue to make.
My mum then moved up to live with me in the city, so she was close to the hospital and treatment was easy to access. She required treatment often and blood transfusions almost every day. I was her main carer, while working full time. Some days I would wake up and help her get ready for the day, take her to the hospital, go to work, pick her up during my lunch break, go back to work and then help her and cook her dinner when I was home. This was a very tough thing to do as a 21-year-old. But it was worth it all the way. I would do it all over again to help my mum in any way possible. Â
The doctors tried multiple different avenues of treatment, all of which mum was refractory to. I spent multiple nights on the hospital floor or on an uncomfortable waiting room chair. Holding in my feelings of sorrow and fear. Fear that she would never see me get married, fear that I won’t have her here to help with my own children, fear that I’ll lose my wine drinking partner, but the worst fear that I’ll lose my best friend.Â
In 2018 she fought very hard with multiple hospital trips due to septic shock and other infections. In October, mum’s doctor told us to take her home, for what we thought would be for only a few weeks. She had a lot more months but that just wasn’t enough.
 In 2019, September 17th Mum took her last breath just before midnight, with my dad by her side.
Jo Wharton was a one-of-a-kind person. She was kind, knew how to crack a joke, cared SO much, a sporting legend, loved her bourbons and wines, had weird taste in ice cream flavours. But most of all she was the best Mum anyone could ever ask for. She cared so much for us, she put her whole family before herself, to look after us.
She was our hero, and we look up to her still every day.
This walk that I’ve organised is in honour of her. This is to keep her involved still. She is not gone, and I want people to know that. She is still here with me, my brother, sister and with my dad. We never want to forget about her. So, I’m doing this for her and for the people that have been in this situation. I want to help support people that are going through the pain of the uncertainty. I want to give back to those who helped me, and my family go through what we did, and I want to make sure that other families can feel just as important and safe going through this.Â
We are so grateful to Gemma for sharing her mum, Jo’s lymphoma story.
Gemma is hosting a 5km walk in Bunbury WA on the 16th September to help raise awareness and vital funds for Lymphoma Awareness Month. If you would like to support or join Gemma on the Walk For Jo, please follow the below link.
