AFTER spending years working towards a life you envisioned for yourself and your loved ones, all it takes is an unexpected event for it to all come crashing down.
This is what 33-year-old Chilean woman and farm worker, Lisbett Lillo, is coming to terms with, after finding out before Christmas she has a complicated and aggressive breast cancer, which turned out to be Stage 4.
It has spread beyond her lymph nodes, and she will need chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
The diagnosis means it’s unlikely she will be able to achieve her goal of gaining permanent residency in Australia, as applicants with cancer generally don’t pass the health requirements.
The new Stratford resident had only just moved to Gippsland in October with her Dutch partner, Puck Witjes, and their cat, having worked in the Australian agricultural industry throughout the COVID pandemic.
“I’ve been all over Australia; everything I’ve seen in Gippsland is just too pretty, and the people have been so nice,” Ms Lillo said.
“Within the next five years, we had hoped to get our permanent residencies in Australia, because that was the dream. We love the country, and we love being together here and working.
“I’ve worked in agriculture in Australia for about four years, previously at a vineyard over an hour away from Mildura. The company we’re working for now were willing to sponsor us straight away.”
In her home country, Ms Lillo studied to be an Industrial Civil Engineer and has a Masters in the Science of Engineering, but agriculture has become her passion.
Working very long hours at Farm Express Salads – a vegetable farm in Boisdale – Ms Lillo has been driving tractors, helping to harvest lettuces, cabbages, spinach and other greens. With staff shortages across the country, many crops would be left on the ground to rot without farm workers like Ms Lillo and Mr Witjes.
Ms Lillo says she enjoys the job and doesn’t mind the 10-to-12-hour days.
“I love driving utes, working with the machinery, being outside and learning about food production. I’m always moving and the day goes by quickly,” she said.
All was well until one day she turned up to work one morning just a couple of weeks before Christmas.
“I was lifting something heavy as I usually do, when I felt pain near my armpit area. I felt a golf ball-sized lump there and I freaked out.”
After doing some tests, she was informed that she had cancer. Due to the end of year holidays, there was a two-week delay in her seeing a specialist.
Staff at Strauss Medical, Sale, describe Ms Lillo as a bubbly, warm-hearted young woman, and her positive attitude shone through as she showed this reporter around the farm last Tuesday.
Photo: Stefan Bradley.
Despite speaking about her ordeal for about an hour, still a very recent development in her life, Ms Lillo seemed surprisingly upbeat.
“That’s because I had a cry in the tractor today,” she said.
“I always try to cry on my own, that’s usually how I deal with things.
“I’m trying to be positive. That’s the best way to beat it.
“Everyone at work has been wonderful. They bought me a cake because they knew I was going to start chemotherapy.
“I am in some pain right now, because I’ve got a couple of lumps in my breast and armpit area. They’re quite big and I feel them when I’m driving, walking or doing whatever. It feels like an electric shock that goes through your body and it’s very painful.”
The physical, mental and emotional toll a cancer diagnosis can have on someone, together with the permanent residency dream now out of reach, is significant.
“Mentally, I’ve been going through so many things,” Ms Lillo said, after taking a deep, contemplative breath.
“I was going through so many things with my sponsorship visa (to work and stay in Australia). I was already going through stress, so the cancer made it way bigger. When I heard the words ‘breast cancer’ for the first time, it was as if my whole world was crashing down.
“Emotionally, I’ve been crying and there’s been anger, because why is this happening to me right now, when I’m enjoying my life? And I worked so hard to get here.”
Sadly, it doesn’t end there. Ms Lillo must also endure a financial toll.
Even though Ms Lillo has been living and working in Australia for five years, she is not eligible for Medicare support. She will require multiple scans, tests, surgeries and chemotherapy, and only a small part of her costs will be covered by her medical insurance.
While going back to Santiago for treatment was an option, doing so would mean abandoning everything she’s worked towards in Australia over the past five years, and would delay treatment even further. That time is precious.
We all know that time is money, but when it comes to lifesaving care, time is life.
Ms Lillo’s time has been dependent on her private health insurer giving the go-ahead for chemotherapy.
“Just the thought that my life is in their hands, and they say they will have an answer by today (Tuesday, February 7), and they didn’t – it freaks me out,” she said.
“Today I was thinking, what if I die because of this?
“This is one extra day for them to make a decision, but that’s one less day in my life. My entire life; and I’m definitely not ready to die yet.”
In the following days, Sale Hospital and their oncology team decided to schedule chemotherapy for Valentine’s Day, February 14, and will help cover the treatment.
Ms Lillo sees it as just one example of Gippsland generosity.
That Gippsland generosity came through again after Strauss Medical set up a GoFundMe page for Ms Lillo to ease her costs. She was shocked when she was informed that over $15,000 has been donated so far.
“So many people from different parts of the world, from back in Chile and people I’ve met around Australia (have donated),” Ms Lillo said.
“I usually go through things on my own. I never get my parents or my partner involved, but it’s time for me to let go of pride. I’ve realised that I need help, and I’m grateful to everyone.
“And I say to other young women, please go get checked. I started with Stage 4 breast cancer. It usually doesn’t happen to women under 40, but it happened to me.”
An effective method for early detection of breast cancer in young women is breast awareness. Women of all ages should become aware of how their breasts and axilla normally look and feel, and to report any new or unusual changes to their general practitioner without delay.
Ms Lillo and Mr Witjes have been together for four years, and in a country very far away from where they grew up, they’re lucky to have each other.
Christmas last year was very difficult, with the couple not knowing if Ms Lillo would survive to see the next one.
“This whole situation has been hard on him, he hasn’t said much, but has been very supportive and understanding,” Ms Lillo said.
“For Valentine’s Day we haven’t planned anything. But since it is my first day of chemo, I know he is going to make it special.”
Those wanting to support Lisbett Lillo’s cancer treatment can visit the GoFundMe page on https://gofund.me/a2c29538
Photo: Stefan Bradley.
Update – March 01 2023:
Ms Lillo had her first chemotherapy on February 14, and experienced what she described as “muscular or bone pain” in the first five days, and while she improved, she still felt weak and tired, which she needed to overcome before she felt comfortable leaving the house. This cycle will repeat itself when she returns to chemotherapy.
To her surprise, they found out on February 14 at the hospital that Ms Lillo’s health insurer would cover her treatment.
“There are still scans and tests that I will need to be taking during the process of the chemo that I will have to pay out of pocket due to coverage,” Ms Lillo said.
“I haven’t checked the GoFundMe, but last thing I knew was that it was getting closer to the goal, which makes me very happy!
“That money will help with all the medical things (insurance) will not cover and life expenses too, because now my partner is the only one working full time.”
Also to her surprise on February 14 was gifts from her mother, her sister and Mr Witjes. They were Pokémon related gifts and charms chosen by Mr Witjes as the couple celebrated Valentine’s Day.
The GoFundMe as of March 1 has raised over $18,000. Ms Lillo has returned to work, an important part of her mental health journey, as even just a couple of days back makes her feel like herself until the next cycle of chemotherapy.
