November 11, 2025 • 7 mins
Local legend Hayley Cowan gets real.
One of my best mates, Hayley Cowan, opens up about her surprise bowel cancer diagnosis and the journey that followed. It’s a powerful reminder of the importance of awareness, early detection, and getting our moves on to support the cause. Her story is brave, honest, and one you won’t want to miss.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bal
cancer in the world. More than three thousand people are
diagnosed in New Zealand with bow cancer each year, and
over twelve hundred will die from the disease. Anyone can
get bow cancer at any age. Nine pc of beal cancers, though,
are curable of court early, but only if we are
as proactive about it as possible. And part of that
(00:22):
is talking about the tough stuff and bringing awareness to
things that aren't so easy to always talk about. I
don't think anyone would sign up freely to be an
expirator and going through something like this, but sometimes life
deals us cards which we aren't always prepared for. She
is one of the toughest people I know, and trust me,
(00:43):
she has one of my best mates and has been
through the experience of bow cancer. I better get the
tissues out for this one. It's mostly most likely going
to be for more than me than you. But please
welcome to the studio someone who is very near and
dear to my heart. Hayley Cowen. Good morning, mate, good
morning chatty. Oh thank you. Honestly, it means so much
(01:05):
in the world for me that you are still here
A to be able to help raise awareness for this,
but you're willing to be vulnerable to talk about, you know,
the tough stuff with me from a perspective of someone
who's been through it firsthand. Let's go back to the beginning.
We're all sort of started for you. Were there sort
(01:25):
of any early signs or symptoms that led to your diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
No, it was a big shock.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Really.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I just turned thirty four, and I just had my
second daughter, Olive, and she was only five weeks old,
and I just woke up one morning with horrendous stomach
pains and they just didn't go away. So I went
to the GP and he was pretty sure it was
a Pendicidis, sent me down to Q. The doctors down
there gave me a CT scan. They were pretty sure
it was a Pendicidis actually wheeled me up to surgery
(01:54):
to remove my pendix and that's when the big surgeon
come in and said, nope for ouse.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
So enough going on at home as it is. You know, Meela,
just owe toddler, Olive and newborn. You're thinking you're going
to get your appendix removed. That's already, as Shirley Copeland
would say, and if me moment and then something else
completely thrown into the mix. How did you cope with
that diagnosis and you know, setting up the treatment process
(02:22):
from there, because I know it wasn't easy.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
No, it wasn't. It was such a shock, and it
was just such a big blur at the time, Like
it probably took me a year to process what had
actually happened, because like the lead up to getting diagnosed
and going through all the treatment in there, you just
continuously had medical appointments and you're just in the process
of dealing with it. And then once I'd finished treatment
and everything, I was like, oh, I actually have to
(02:46):
deal with this now. And that's probably what I found
the toughest.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Oh, and then there's you know, the mental side of it,
the fact that you know you're going to see people
up street your shoe into the supermarket to just get
some milk, and you don't want to see anyone and
people are you going because that's just what we do.
That's a tough part of it all as well, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yes? Yeah, And I did probably shut myself off a
bit to friends and family, and I'd have friends messaging
my mum and my brother like how was Haley? Because
I wasn't responding, but I think.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
That's a very natural reaction. But you know, now that
you've gone through that initial stage and everything like that,
do you have any advice, you know, for maybe someone
who has recently been diagnosed and what maybe you know
it's hard to probably say and reflect on it, but
what you would do different in that way?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Oh, you just really need to talk about it and
let those feelings out. Like it as I tried to
be so tough because everyone around me was really sad
that I was going through this, so I was trying
to put on a brave face. Yeah, but really you
just need to if you're having a bad day, have
a bad.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Day, feel those feelings. Absolutely. Let's talk about the importance
of early detection and screening. Obviously in your case there was,
you know, not really a chance for that to happen,
but the earlier things can be detected and screened in
any age, any stage, you know, is so important, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yes, I guess my main symptom would have been I
was extremely tired, which would have been due to low iron.
But because I was pregnant and just had a baby,
it was quite normal to have low iron, so looking
back now, yeah, there probably was signs, but nothing that
wrung alarm boughs in my head like I should get
(04:32):
checked out. Like I was pretty lucky that because what
happened was my tumor actually perforated. My bat or watch
had caused all the pain. So like, as bad as
that sounds, I was pretty lucky that happened and that
didn't just sit there keep growing and spreading.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
So well, that's true too. I mean maybe one of
the takeaways from this is that, you know, we get
warrant the fitnesses for our cars and our vehicles and
things like that. It's things like this that remind us
that we should probably be doing it for ourselves as
our aim.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Now, has your experience or I already know the answers
to this, but has your experience with boalkencer inspired you
to get involved with fundraising and awareness if it's like
that is happening over the month of June.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yes, So, my Barrack Hammond Davidson, we have signed up
to move your butt for June. So we have set
a goal of trying to do four million steps. Wow,
that's probably quite hard for office workers who sit on
their bum all day.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Hey, but that's the point. It's meant to be hard,
so you can relate to what happens.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yes, so we're going to give it a good push
this week and or we might get close to reaching it.
I'm not sure if we'll reach target, but we'll give
it a good go.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
I know your what is the word that is in that?
How and gene, competitiveness, dedication, stubbornness, these of you. I
know that with those like minded people, you'll get it.
So how does it work? Do we sponsor you to
move your butt? Yes?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
So we've got a page set up up if you
go on to the Move your Butt page.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yep, which is just maybe your butt dot all dot INZ.
But I can share your link on our Facebook page
as well.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And then our teams. Let's get physical and you just donate.
It's going to donate to the team or to an individual,
whatever you like. Okay, cool, goes to the main cause
of balcancer New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
So you just pack amount that you can comfortably donate.
It's not like three cents per step or anything like that. No, okay, cool,
now I know that to the Move your Butt goal
Ford twenty twenty three for the bal Cancer Foundation is
three and a half one hundred thousand dollars, and that
up to about one hundred and eighty five when I
(06:41):
looked this morning. So still a wee way to go,
but still well and truly nearly en route to reach that.
So thank you so much for coming in and sharing
your experience this morning. I just want to ask you
one final question. How has your experience with a bal
cancer to change your perspective on life?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Oh? Yes, it has definitely definitely see life differently now
and live for all those we small moments and just
don't take anything for granted, because your health can be
there one day and taken away the next.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
So I am so proud of you, mama, for being vulnerable,
for being proud of what you've been through, for stepping up,
for fighting every single day, for being an incredible human.
And I'm so lucky to have you in my life.
And I think this is our reminder for all of
us just to you know, make sure we're checking and
on ourselves and our mates and our family and our
(07:39):
friends and supporting these causes and these foundations and moving
our butts
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bal
cancer in the world. More than three thousand people are
diagnosed in New Zealand with bow cancer each year, and
over twelve hundred will die from the disease. Anyone can
get bow cancer at any age. Nine pc of beal cancers, though,
are curable of court early, but only if we are
as proactive about it as possible. And part of that
(00:22):
is talking about the tough stuff and bringing awareness to
things that aren't so easy to always talk about. I
don't think anyone would sign up freely to be an
expirator and going through something like this, but sometimes life
deals us cards which we aren't always prepared for. She
is one of the toughest people I know, and trust me,
(00:43):
she has one of my best mates and has been
through the experience of bow cancer. I better get the
tissues out for this one. It's mostly most likely going
to be for more than me than you. But please
welcome to the studio someone who is very near and
dear to my heart. Hayley Cowen. Good morning, mate, good
morning chatty. Oh thank you. Honestly, it means so much
(01:05):
in the world for me that you are still here
A to be able to help raise awareness for this,
but you're willing to be vulnerable to talk about, you know,
the tough stuff with me from a perspective of someone
who's been through it firsthand. Let's go back to the beginning.
We're all sort of started for you. Were there sort
(01:25):
of any early signs or symptoms that led to your diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
No, it was a big shock.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Really.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
I just turned thirty four, and I just had my
second daughter, Olive, and she was only five weeks old,
and I just woke up one morning with horrendous stomach
pains and they just didn't go away. So I went
to the GP and he was pretty sure it was
a Pendicidis, sent me down to Q. The doctors down
there gave me a CT scan. They were pretty sure
it was a Pendicidis actually wheeled me up to surgery
(01:54):
to remove my pendix and that's when the big surgeon
come in and said, nope for ouse.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
So enough going on at home as it is. You know, Meela,
just owe toddler, Olive and newborn. You're thinking you're going
to get your appendix removed. That's already, as Shirley Copeland
would say, and if me moment and then something else
completely thrown into the mix. How did you cope with
that diagnosis and you know, setting up the treatment process
(02:22):
from there, because I know it wasn't easy.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
No, it wasn't. It was such a shock, and it
was just such a big blur at the time, Like
it probably took me a year to process what had
actually happened, because like the lead up to getting diagnosed
and going through all the treatment in there, you just
continuously had medical appointments and you're just in the process
of dealing with it. And then once I'd finished treatment
and everything, I was like, oh, I actually have to
(02:46):
deal with this now. And that's probably what I found
the toughest.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Oh, and then there's you know, the mental side of it,
the fact that you know you're going to see people
up street your shoe into the supermarket to just get
some milk, and you don't want to see anyone and
people are you going because that's just what we do.
That's a tough part of it all as well, wasn't it.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yes? Yeah, And I did probably shut myself off a
bit to friends and family, and I'd have friends messaging
my mum and my brother like how was Haley? Because
I wasn't responding, but I think.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
That's a very natural reaction. But you know, now that
you've gone through that initial stage and everything like that,
do you have any advice, you know, for maybe someone
who has recently been diagnosed and what maybe you know
it's hard to probably say and reflect on it, but
what you would do different in that way?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Oh, you just really need to talk about it and
let those feelings out. Like it as I tried to
be so tough because everyone around me was really sad
that I was going through this, so I was trying
to put on a brave face. Yeah, but really you
just need to if you're having a bad day, have
a bad.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Day, feel those feelings. Absolutely. Let's talk about the importance
of early detection and screening. Obviously in your case there was,
you know, not really a chance for that to happen,
but the earlier things can be detected and screened in
any age, any stage, you know, is so important, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
Yes, I guess my main symptom would have been I
was extremely tired, which would have been due to low iron.
But because I was pregnant and just had a baby,
it was quite normal to have low iron, so looking
back now, yeah, there probably was signs, but nothing that
wrung alarm boughs in my head like I should get
(04:32):
checked out. Like I was pretty lucky that because what
happened was my tumor actually perforated. My bat or watch
had caused all the pain. So like, as bad as
that sounds, I was pretty lucky that happened and that
didn't just sit there keep growing and spreading.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
So well, that's true too. I mean maybe one of
the takeaways from this is that, you know, we get
warrant the fitnesses for our cars and our vehicles and
things like that. It's things like this that remind us
that we should probably be doing it for ourselves as
our aim.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Now, has your experience or I already know the answers
to this, but has your experience with boalkencer inspired you
to get involved with fundraising and awareness if it's like
that is happening over the month of June.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yes, So, my Barrack Hammond Davidson, we have signed up
to move your butt for June. So we have set
a goal of trying to do four million steps. Wow,
that's probably quite hard for office workers who sit on
their bum all day.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Hey, but that's the point. It's meant to be hard,
so you can relate to what happens.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yes, so we're going to give it a good push
this week and or we might get close to reaching it.
I'm not sure if we'll reach target, but we'll give
it a good go.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
I know your what is the word that is in that?
How and gene, competitiveness, dedication, stubbornness, these of you. I
know that with those like minded people, you'll get it.
So how does it work? Do we sponsor you to
move your butt? Yes?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
So we've got a page set up up if you
go on to the Move your Butt page.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Yep, which is just maybe your butt dot all dot INZ.
But I can share your link on our Facebook page
as well.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
And then our teams. Let's get physical and you just donate.
It's going to donate to the team or to an individual,
whatever you like. Okay, cool, goes to the main cause
of balcancer New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
So you just pack amount that you can comfortably donate.
It's not like three cents per step or anything like that. No, okay, cool,
now I know that to the Move your Butt goal
Ford twenty twenty three for the bal Cancer Foundation is
three and a half one hundred thousand dollars, and that
up to about one hundred and eighty five when I
(06:41):
looked this morning. So still a wee way to go,
but still well and truly nearly en route to reach that.
So thank you so much for coming in and sharing
your experience this morning. I just want to ask you
one final question. How has your experience with a bal
cancer to change your perspective on life?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Oh? Yes, it has definitely definitely see life differently now
and live for all those we small moments and just
don't take anything for granted, because your health can be
there one day and taken away the next.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
So I am so proud of you, mama, for being vulnerable,
for being proud of what you've been through, for stepping up,
for fighting every single day, for being an incredible human.
And I'm so lucky to have you in my life.
And I think this is our reminder for all of
us just to you know, make sure we're checking and
on ourselves and our mates and our family and our
(07:39):
friends and supporting these causes and these foundations and moving
our butts
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