At 19, Maddie King was preparing for a semester abroad in Los Angeles when she noticed firm lumps in her neck.

What began as a mild cough and night sweats led to a shocking diagnosis: stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “By the time they found it, it was all through my neck and chest, including a 9cm tumour in my lungs,” she said.Returning to Sydney in October 2019, she was diagnosed and quickly began IVF to preserve fertility before undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. “Chemo completely rips away any sense of normality,” Maddie said. She lost touch with her studies and social life, relying heavily on her mother and ex-boyfriend.

Having lost her father to pancreatic cancer at 16, Maddie reflected, “Part of me was relieved he didn’t have to watch me go through it. But part of me wished he was there – I think he would’ve been proud.”Support came from Cancer Chicks, a community of young women with cancer. “It made me feel human again,” Maddie shared.
Now five years in remission, she works in marketing and raises awareness. “People think they need to give \$100. But even \$10 can change someone’s day,” she said, praising Cancer Chicks’ new Afterpay donation model.