By CHARLENE MACAULAY
WHEN Marina Valent found out she had breast cancer, she immediately feared the worst – until an unexpected dream flowered hope and possibility within her.
The Delahey resident discovered a lump on her right breast the morning of her 19th wedding anniversary.
Despite her concern, she went to work as usual at Jindi Woraback Children’s Services, where she worked with special needs kids.
Her colleagues urged her to make an appointment, and after an ultrasound, a biopsy and an agonising week’s wait for the results, she received her diagnosis.
“The first thing that came to me was my mum, who also had breast cancer and passed away,” Mrs Valent said.
“It was very devastating to hear, and I thought I wasn’t going to be there for my husband, my children.
“Then, I felt like a peace come over me. I started thinking positively … I thought, it’s going to be OK.”
Ms Valent, who was treated at Sunshine Hospital through their BreastWest program, had the lump removed as well as some lymph nodes, to check if the cancer had spread.
“Just before we were going to go to the hospital for the results, my husband said he’d had a dream.
“He said: ’Marina, I saw lots of sunflowers and I believe this is for you, and God is trying to tell us that, just like the sunflowers, look to the sun, and to God, for help’.
“When the doctor said that it was all clear, we said ’well, we kind of knew that’.
“Then, as we were going out of the doctor’s room, down the hall was a beautiful painting of a sunflower. It just reassured us that it will be OK.”
Ms Valent then underwent chemotherapy and radiation. She will soon be tested for the breast cancer genes.
She thanked BreastWest’s breast care nurses and the team at Sunshine Hospital for their help.
BreastWest was formed in 2006 by Western Health’s divisional director of surgical services and breast cancer survivor Claire Culley to help breast cancer sufferers in the West.
The organisation hosted its annual Yum Cha fundraiser last Friday at Sunshine’s Gold Leaf Restaurant.
“I’ve had lots of friends and family that were there for me. I was very blessed to go through this hard time and have so much support.
“It’s so important that women with breast cancer do have support.”
