https://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/sarina-sergeant-rallies-support-for-sister-with-ra/3592940/ ARMSTRONG Beach has long held a special place in Nicole Wagner's heart. For her and her brother, Sarina Police Sergeant Michael Jones, it's a retreat from the madness of everyday life where time ceases to make an impact. Growing up in Sarina where their mother still resides Mrs Wagner and her brother, Sarina Police Sergeant Michael Jones, have shared in the joys of the secluded area. When his tenacious sister was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer known as multiple myeloma, Sgt. Jones took to their personal refuge to call on his friends and family to help raise the $18,000 required to fund her ongoing treatment. "Everyone raves about their siblings and about having the best mum, the best dad, the best sister... but you have no idea; meet this one, and it couldn't be more unfair what's happened," Sgt. Jones said. "You have no idea what this kid does, it does your head in what she does for people." The response has been overwhelming, reaching their goal in just three days.
The concept of time has never been clearer to the family in the midst of this turmoil, however the generosity of Sgt. Jones' community has given hope that the treatment will buy the determined 54-year-old more precious years. A former primary school teacher at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in North Mackay, Mrs Wagner relocated to the New South Wales Northern Rivers 18 years ago with her husband Scott and two sons, Dominic and Riordan. Having struggled with back pain prior to her diagnosis in August where she was afforded workers compensation for a bulging disc. However, her long term discomfort brought to light the misdiagnosis, and the toll inflicted upon the family has been devastating. "When I couldn't walk one night with the pain, we went in and had an emergency CT and MRI and the doctor very sadly had to tell us that there was a tumour crushing my vertebrae causing the nerve pain down my legs," Mrs Wagner said. "My son, Dominic, was going through university exams at the time so that was pretty horrible for him but he continued. "My other son is a lawyer now so he wants to go in and bat for me in every situation, so I'm really wonderfully supported by a wonderful community. "I deeply desire being a grandparent to their children, being a teacher I just love children, and I obviously want to be there for them in their future. Facing the prospect that I won't be is the most awful thing for me." The pressure on her spine has forced the use of a support brace; without it she remains bed-ridden. While efficient treatment of a low risk categorisation of the cancer may extend the patient's life beyond 10 years, Mrs Wagner said the resilient nature of her strain presents a bleaker future without combative methods, which led to seeking a treatment drug known as lenalidomide. "Mine is called a high risk cytogenetics, and that means the genetic coding I've got makes it very difficult to treat... you're lucky to be alive in five years." The cost of just three months dosage is excessive, however a compassionate arrangement with the manufacturer has ensured that the onset payment will provide prolonged financial relief. Medical director and haematologist at Icon Cancer Centre Dr Ian Irving said access to lenalidomide is restricted under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) if used in conjunction with other treatments, or in the instance of "maintenance therapy." He said the rarity of the disease makes early diagnosis incredibly difficult, and despite great strides being made in myeloma research, misdiagnosis was unfortunately fairly common. "One of the symptoms is back pain, but obviously back pain is very common. To try to pick out when it's multiple myeloma or when it's back pain or arthritis is quite difficult, so it's often diagnosed late," Dr Irving said. As she confronts her most tumultuous challenge yet, Mrs Wagner inspirational courage is unwavering. She has implored for support to extend to organisations such as the Leukaemia Foundation in the hope that other families don't suffer in the same manner. "Quite often cures for one disease can have implications for other diseases," Mrs Wagner said. "There's so much we don't know that we take for granted, and I think all the awareness and money that can go towards research is going to benefit you and your children." With the weight of funds lifted, Mrs Wagner and Sgt. Jones are determined to bring her home to Armstrong Beach, where Sgt. Jones said he intends to host a thank you get-to-together for those who helped the family overcome this financial hurdle. "My mum's family are original Armstrong Beach inhabitants; our grandfather owned the property and my mum was raised at Sarina," Sgt. Jones said. "Our whole youth was spent at Armstrong Beach... we grew up there and it's the centre of our spiritual universe." With a positive response, and little bit of luck, perhaps time will allow for this stop on the family's toughest of journeys.
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AuthorA selection of my general news content. My main round was health, however I frequently covered weather, crime, politics and general human interest. Archives
January 2020
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