Briar Dawson

Clinton’s Briar Dawson is a young mum facing an incredibly tough challenge after a shock cancer diagnosis.

Briar is determined to make the most of her time with her daughter, and there’s a way we can all help. In this chat, we’ll hear her story, how she’s coping with treatment, and how the community can support her through the Givealittle page set up by her family.

Young Mum's battle against stage 4 colon cancer - Givealittle

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I will warn you with this one that you might
need to grab the tissues because joining us this morning
is Brian Dawson from Clinton, a young mum facing an
incredibly tough challenge after a shot cancer diagnosis. She's determined
to make the most of her time with her daughter,
and there's a way we can all help out. Good morning, Brier,
Good morning. Thank you so much for sharing your story

(00:23):
with us. Can you take us back to March and
what led to your diagnosis and how you found out.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
I had gone to the doctor because I had been
having some issues going to the toilet. There was blood
and things in my stool. So I went to the
doctor and they referred me to a guesterentrologist who thought
that I had an ulcerated colidus and so he preferred

(00:52):
me to get a colnoscopy. And when I went in
for my colnosophy, it took them ten minutes to do
the whole procedure because there was a fifteen centimeter tumor
blocking the camera from going through my bow. They pulled
me into a room and told me that they were

(01:14):
pretty sure it was cancer, but they had to do
a biopsy to double check. They sent me for a
CT and an MRI scan, and I had a appointment
where surgeon in Dwnedan Hospital, which is where they told
me that my cancer had metastasized into my lymph nodes,

(01:40):
my lungs and my liver. Now I also have it
in my bone, and that it was incurable so he
couldn't do anything for me.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Stage four colon cancer at twenty four is something most
people certainly wouldn't even begin to expect. How do you
go from you know, being in that room, getting that
diagnosis and then processing that news a lot of tears, yeah, yeah,

(02:11):
and then you know you've got to wrap around and
support your young daughter and things like that, Like you
must have some pretty special people around you.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yes, definitely. I live with my mum. She's been amazing.
She's also going through her own cancer journey at the moment,
and my two nieces, Charlotte and Michayla also here. Michayla
came back from a cruise ship in Spain to come
and help out with alsia and things while I do treatment,

(02:44):
And they have some pretty amazing friends around the community
as well.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
I can imagine now making memories worth you know, your
daughter as well as those nieces and your mum who's
horrifically going through something similar as at the top of
this do list, what are some special things that you've
been doing and that is still on the list to
get done.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
I've been taking Elsie out to do things like going
to Queenstown and doing the gondola. We went to christ
Church and she likes to go to Chipmunks, so we've
been to nearly every Chipmunks in the South Island. Just
little things that we can take lots of photos so

(03:30):
that she's able to look back and the memories that
she probably won't remember, but she'll be able to have
some photos to look back on.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah, your sister has set up and give a little
page to help you, you know, do that worth your
daughter as well as support her future. I know that
sometimes this can be quite overwhelming, but are you comfortable,
you know, to let us know how people can get
involved and make a difference.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
I'm incredibly grateful for all of the support that I
have received so far. We are just blown away by
how much people have donated. Yeah, it's been crazy, So
I would like to thank everybody who has donated so far.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
If you had to give a little in search Brian Dawson,
you're about to find Briar's give a little and also
contribute if you can and would like to. Brian, do
you have you know, any messages around bout cancer and
importance of getting checked early and things like that you
would like to share.

Speaker 2 (04:39):
I just think that if you have having any issues
that don't seem normal, especially bloods when you're going to
the toilet, or going to the toilet more frequently as
I was going between ten and twenty times a day,
definitely go and get checked. When my mum went into

(05:03):
the doctor and told him what my diagnosis was, he
admitted to her that because of my age, he never
would have even considered cancer. So I think it's really important,
especially if you are younger, to advocate for yourself and
make sure that you go through the right to get
the right things done like a kolonoskop and things, because

(05:26):
the doctors think it's very unlikely, but it's definitely more
common in young people than they actually realize. Now.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
Brian Dawson, you are one incredible lady. Thank you so
much for even taking the time to share your story
with us, and that little girl of your she is
going to know just how incredible and special you are
and how loved it she is as well. No matter what,
life throws all of your ways and it plays out

(05:56):
in the future, so thank you and all the very
best from us.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
Thank you,