At 28, Zeke was raising a young family in rural southern Tasmania with his partner, Zara, and their six-month-old son, Kyle. Life revolved around work, renovating their home and enjoying the everyday moments of being a new dad. Cancer was the last thing he expected.
“I was working, doing projects around the house and loving being a dad,” Zeke recalls.
What began as severe stomach pain and overwhelming fatigue quickly became an urgent hospital admission in Hobart and a diagnosis that would change everything – Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).
Over the next three years, Zeke underwent intensive chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant in Melbourne, multiple hospital admissions and ongoing treatment following relapse. Instead of building his career and watching his son grow through life’s early milestones, treatment became his full-time job.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done by far… I was living in a nightmare,” he says.
Cancer didn’t just affect Zeke’s health. It disrupted family life, independence and the simple routines that had once defined everyday life.
Living in rural southern Tasmania added another layer of complexity. Specialist cancer care wasn’t available close to home, meaning treatment involved regular travel to Hobart and, later, several months living in Melbourne for a stem cell transplant.
The demands of cancer treatment were intensified by geography. Living in rural southern Tasmania meant that every appointment required careful planning around travel, childcare, work and family responsibilities. What might have been a routine medical appointment for someone living in a major city often required hours of travel and an entire day away from home. For Zeke and Zara, accessing treatment became as much a logistical challenge as a medical one.
“There were nights when we had to get to hospital urgently while also working out who could stay with Kyle,” Zara recalls.
Frequent appointments, long travel days and extended periods away from home became part of everyday life. Months spent in Melbourne also meant months away from family, friends and the rural community that had always been their support network, adding an additional layer of stress.
Cancer was no longer just a medical diagnosis. It had become a family, financial and logistical challenge.
Despite these challenges, Zeke and Zara never faced them alone. Family, friends and neighbours rallied around them, helping with childcare, meals and practical support when they needed it most. While healthcare teams provided exceptional care, it was the strength of their community that helped carry them through some of the most difficult days.
One of the hardest parts of treatment was being away from the place that felt like home.
“I like my peace and quiet… Getting back home was huge,” Zeke says.
Today, Zeke continues treatment and lives with uncertainty about what the future may hold. Yet his experience has also changed how he sees life and what matters most.
“It’s been the best three years of my life and the worst… I’m home all the time and I get to watch Kyle grow up.”
By sharing his story, Zeke hopes to raise awareness of the unique challenges faced by young adults living with cancer in rural Australia. His experience reminds us that cancer is about much more than treatment. For many rural families, it also means long journeys, disrupted routines, financial strain and time away from the people and places that matter most. At the same time, it highlights the extraordinary resilience of rural communities and the importance of equitable access to specialist cancer care, no matter where someone lives.
People affected by cancer in rural and regional communities need access to support at all stages of the cancer care Read more
It’s 4am, and I’ve been awake for 22 hours. My shift started at 2:30pm and the surgeries haven’t stopped all Read more
Rural mental health professionals face unique challenges – from professional isolation to high caseloads and limited peer support. But innovative Read more
Growing up in rural Queensland instilled in Dr Prue Wallin resilience, compassion, and a deep respect for community—values that shaped Read more