September 1, 2025 • 10 mins
September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. Briony Benjamin, author and public speaker, shares her story with Peter Greco about her diagnosis, awareness for blood cancer and what support is available through the Leukaemia Foundation.
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S1 (00:13):
It's a really important month, September, for blood cancer awareness.
Let's chat about it with Bryony Benjamin, who's on the line,
and her son Aiden is hovering around as well. Bryony,
lovely to meet you. Thank you for your time.
S2 (00:26):
Thanks, Peter. Thanks for having me on. Yes, I'm feeding
as we speak, so hopefully my little companion will be
nice and quiet for his first radio interview, but I
can't promise.
S1 (00:35):
Well, just hope he remembers he launched his career.
S2 (00:38):
Exactly. It all started today.
S1 (00:41):
Hey, Bryony, you found in wonderful health and wonderful spirit.
But I guess there was a time when, um, you know,
things weren't quite as good for you in terms of
your health.
S2 (00:49):
Yeah, exactly. Peter. Uh, I, you know, basically had a
about a 12 to 18 month period of just feeling
really awful. I was working in media at the time
in Sydney, and, and I just kept going to the
doctor over and over again. And they were just saying, oh,
you're just stressed. It must be stress. But it turns
out it was not stress. After my parents insisted I
go and see a hematologist to look at my bloods
(01:12):
closer and after weeks of testing, I got the result.
The shocking news at 31 that I had stage four
blood cancer. Yes, I know he's upset to hear that.
So it was, um, yeah, a huge shock to the
system when you sort of feel like you're at the
prime of your life and everything's going really well. To
be told that, in fact, life had to stop. Go on. Pause.
(01:34):
I moved home to Queensland to be, um, you know, my,
my family home with my parents and started a pretty
aggressive course of chemotherapy, uh, two weeks later. So it
was a whirlwind.
S1 (01:46):
Reading a bit about you. Understandably, you were scared. I
guess it's not knowing what's ahead. That's the scary part.
S2 (01:52):
Well, I think the C word is always a scary word, right? And, um,
you know, the the thing about a blood cancer as well,
it's actually, you know, becoming one of the, uh, largest
cancers in terms of diagnosis in the country. But the
vast majority of Australians still don't know much about it
and what the symptoms are. So, you know, for me,
I had this just persistent cough that wouldn't go away.
(02:14):
But easy to write that off to something else, right?
I had I had itchy skin. I just fatigue always
just felt like I was a bit sick and rundown.
And I was having night sweats on and off at night.
So they were the really big things. But other than that,
not in my wildest dreams did I think I had
cancer or a blood cancer. So yeah, it was a
huge shock. That day I got diagnosed. And yeah, the
(02:35):
unknown is so scary. Um, as you embark on it, uh,
you just it's not something that you ever thought would
be a part of your life.
S1 (02:42):
Age 31. So, as you say, you think you're in
your prime of your life. But blood cancer, in a sense,
tends to discriminate in a sense. And, uh, you know,
quite common against younger people in terms of cancers.
S2 (02:53):
Yeah. It really like the Hodgkin's lymphoma that I had
is the most common cancer in young people. Um, and
yet despite that, I think there is still a real
health bias when you, you know, go and see your
GP because, you know, I looked well, I was I
was sort of vibrant, I was playing sport, I had
a big job. And so I think it's just, you know,
(03:14):
it's the last thing anyone is sort of thinking of. So,
you know, my biggest message to everyone now, I say
you're the only one that knows your body and knows
what it feels like. And you really if you really
feel that it's not well, you've got to keep digging
until you get answers and not just, you know, roll
along with, oh, well, I, you know, I think I'd
gotten to the point where I thought maybe this is
(03:35):
just what being an adult feels like. You just feel
awful all the time, which was a pretty depressing thought, really.
S1 (03:41):
Now you kind of did something very practical and positive
about it as well. Did you kind of set up
a kind of a some videos and kind of chronicling
how you were going and, and your treatment, etc.?
S2 (03:51):
Yeah, I did look encouraged by some friends. I mean,
at the time I was working as a producer, but
I'd never really turned the camera around on myself. And
so I had some friends that said, why don't you
just document the journey as you go? And I really
didn't feel like it. I thought, oh, it's pretty vulnerable,
scary stuff to be capturing. But with their encouragement, I did.
And from that very first night. I just started documenting
(04:12):
and it was really therapeutic. But also I ended up
putting that into a video, um, at the end to
show people, you know, what it's going through that experience, like,
you know, in sort of 60s and that sort of
led to some really amazing things. A book that I wrote,
Life is Tough, but so are you. And now this
connection with the Leukemia Foundation, where I, you know, help
(04:32):
raise awareness around blood cancers because it's something I'm incredibly
passionate about. But, you know, sadly, 55 Australians will be
diagnosed today with a blood cancer, you know, so and
we're going to lose 17 people sadly today to blood cancer.
And so it's just so critical that people know the
signs and symptoms so that they can get that early detection.
S1 (04:54):
Rodney how are you going at the moment? I mean,
you sound amazing.
S2 (04:57):
Yeah. Well thanks, Peter, I am so, uh, I'm so. Well,
it's just extraordinary. I'm. I'm sort of seven years in
remission now. Wow. And I've been amazingly able to have
two beautiful little boys since in the last two years.
So it's been it's been a big two years. But yeah.
So look, I'm, I'm tired for a different reason now,
(05:18):
but it's a much better reason. And at least I
know what it is this time. It's called staying up
all night breastfeeding.
S3 (05:24):
There you go.
S2 (05:25):
So no, I couldn't I couldn't be more grateful and
appreciative for all the support and health and the amazing,
you know, care I got in Australia. And thanks in
large part to the Leukaemia Foundation as well.
S1 (05:36):
Such a great message in terms of like, you know,
you might get this diagnosis can be scary, it can
be serious, but if things turn out well that there
is a great life after as well.
S2 (05:46):
Absolutely. You know, Peter, and it's something that I, you know,
with my book and the work I do with the
Leukaemia Foundation, I'm so passionate about sharing that message because
I know for me, in those early days, I needed
to see stories out there of people that had dealt
with this and got through it and that they had
a wonderful life. And particularly, you know, for me, seeing
women that had gone through it and then had children
(06:08):
on the other side. That was really important to know
that that was all possible. And just, you know, so
I hope my story can, yeah, shine a light and,
and be a bit of a beacon of hope for
those that are being diagnosed or will be diagnosed. Um, yeah.
Because it is a really obviously incredibly tough thing to
go through. But you can totally do it and get
through it and come out the other side and have
(06:28):
a wonderful life, as you say.
S1 (06:30):
You talked about the support you're getting from the foundation
and also giving it, and September is a very important
month to kind of highlight it and sort of put
an exclamation mark on it as well.
S2 (06:40):
Yeah, absolutely. You know, I mean, I was I was
so fortunate when I went through cancer that I had
my amazing mom and dad to sort of be there
with me, and I could live with them. And they
brought me in and out. But many people don't have that.
And you know what's worse than going through cancer? Well,
going through cancer without support. And so that's what I
love about the Leukemia Foundation. You know, they can provide accommodation,
(07:01):
they can provide assistance with transport to your appointments and
as well as education information and support. So you know
it's practical financial emotional mental health support. They they do
the lot which is why I love them and love
spreading the good work that they are doing.
S1 (07:16):
That's a great point about the practical support, isn't it? Because,
you know, that's really important because, you know, if you
need to get to appointments, and I guess particularly for
people who might not be necessarily living in the metropolitan area,
that can be a huge thing to be on their mind, which,
you know, you don't really need when you've got other
stuff to think about.
S2 (07:32):
Oh, absolutely. Peter, I will never forget leaving the Gold
Coast Hospital for treatment one day and seeing someone that
had been in the hospital and they were in a wheelchair,
and they're trying to get on a bus and get
out of there. And I just thought, oh my goodness me,
you know, like that, that is that is not okay
in this country. So, uh, yeah. And also, I think,
you know, the emotional and mental health support is just
(07:53):
so critical. I remember getting I got a call like
a few weeks after I'd finished chemo, and it was
a counsellor from the Leukaemia Foundation. She said, how are
you going? I said, oh, actually, I'm not going so well,
But I hadn't, you know, I wasn't seeing a counsellor.
I didn't have someone to really talk that through other
than my, you know, amazing family, but someone with the
(08:14):
skills and just having someone say, well, I'm here anytime
you want. And it's really normal to be feeling how
you're feeling. That was that was so, um, gratifying to
hear that it was so helpful. And it just, um,
knowing that that support was there really made a big difference.
S1 (08:29):
As you say, family support is fantastic. But when you
get that professional support and you know you're hearing it
from someone who knows their stuff, that's a powerful thing.
S2 (08:37):
Totally. And I think I was very resistant to that
at first. Peter. Right. Because I know I can do this.
I'm tough. I don't need I don't need it. And
I just said to everyone, now, please don't be like me,
you know, yes, you might be fine and you might
be able to get through it by yourself. But do
you think that if someone who has helped literally hundreds
of people get through this, that they might have a
few ideas that you could take away that might make
(08:57):
your day a bit easier and make this time a
bit easier, then why not just embrace that and you know,
know that it's not weak to get that support. and
it's actually really valid and really helpful.
S1 (09:07):
How can we get hold of your book, Brian? Is
it available?
S2 (09:09):
It is. Peter. Thank you. Yeah. Um, if people just,
you know, Google me basically. Brian e b r I
o NY Benjamin um, I've got a website there. Brian.
Benjamin um, and they can, they can get it, get
a copy there or pass it on to someone that's
going through a tough time through cancer. Yeah.
S1 (09:26):
Great point. We'll put those details up with our show
notes and also how people can support the Leukemia Foundation
during the month of September. Brian, great to talk to you.
Hopefully we can speak again in the future. And I've
got to say, it's really great to hear you sounding
so bright and bubbly and in good form. And, uh,
a big hug to Arden as well.
S2 (09:42):
Thank you. Peter, I'm a very lucky lady and I
really appreciate your help spreading the word about blood cancer.
S1 (09:47):
Benjamin Bera I'm an ambassador for the Leukemia Foundation. What
a wonderful ambassador. What a positive story also to be telling.
So we'll put those details up there, show notes. And
as I always say, if you have any difficulty accessing
them one 308 4746 give us a call here at
the radio station and we'll pass on the details.
It's a really important month, September, for blood cancer awareness.
Let's chat about it with Bryony Benjamin, who's on the line,
and her son Aiden is hovering around as well. Bryony,
lovely to meet you. Thank you for your time.
S2 (00:26):
Thanks, Peter. Thanks for having me on. Yes, I'm feeding
as we speak, so hopefully my little companion will be
nice and quiet for his first radio interview, but I
can't promise.
S1 (00:35):
Well, just hope he remembers he launched his career.
S2 (00:38):
Exactly. It all started today.
S1 (00:41):
Hey, Bryony, you found in wonderful health and wonderful spirit.
But I guess there was a time when, um, you know,
things weren't quite as good for you in terms of
your health.
S2 (00:49):
Yeah, exactly. Peter. Uh, I, you know, basically had a
about a 12 to 18 month period of just feeling
really awful. I was working in media at the time
in Sydney, and, and I just kept going to the
doctor over and over again. And they were just saying, oh,
you're just stressed. It must be stress. But it turns
out it was not stress. After my parents insisted I
go and see a hematologist to look at my bloods
(01:12):
closer and after weeks of testing, I got the result.
The shocking news at 31 that I had stage four
blood cancer. Yes, I know he's upset to hear that.
So it was, um, yeah, a huge shock to the
system when you sort of feel like you're at the
prime of your life and everything's going really well. To
be told that, in fact, life had to stop. Go on. Pause.
(01:34):
I moved home to Queensland to be, um, you know, my,
my family home with my parents and started a pretty
aggressive course of chemotherapy, uh, two weeks later. So it
was a whirlwind.
S1 (01:46):
Reading a bit about you. Understandably, you were scared. I
guess it's not knowing what's ahead. That's the scary part.
S2 (01:52):
Well, I think the C word is always a scary word, right? And, um,
you know, the the thing about a blood cancer as well,
it's actually, you know, becoming one of the, uh, largest
cancers in terms of diagnosis in the country. But the
vast majority of Australians still don't know much about it
and what the symptoms are. So, you know, for me,
I had this just persistent cough that wouldn't go away.
(02:14):
But easy to write that off to something else, right?
I had I had itchy skin. I just fatigue always
just felt like I was a bit sick and rundown.
And I was having night sweats on and off at night.
So they were the really big things. But other than that,
not in my wildest dreams did I think I had
cancer or a blood cancer. So yeah, it was a
huge shock. That day I got diagnosed. And yeah, the
(02:35):
unknown is so scary. Um, as you embark on it, uh,
you just it's not something that you ever thought would
be a part of your life.
S1 (02:42):
Age 31. So, as you say, you think you're in
your prime of your life. But blood cancer, in a sense,
tends to discriminate in a sense. And, uh, you know,
quite common against younger people in terms of cancers.
S2 (02:53):
Yeah. It really like the Hodgkin's lymphoma that I had
is the most common cancer in young people. Um, and
yet despite that, I think there is still a real
health bias when you, you know, go and see your
GP because, you know, I looked well, I was I
was sort of vibrant, I was playing sport, I had
a big job. And so I think it's just, you know,
(03:14):
it's the last thing anyone is sort of thinking of. So,
you know, my biggest message to everyone now, I say
you're the only one that knows your body and knows
what it feels like. And you really if you really
feel that it's not well, you've got to keep digging
until you get answers and not just, you know, roll
along with, oh, well, I, you know, I think I'd
gotten to the point where I thought maybe this is
(03:35):
just what being an adult feels like. You just feel
awful all the time, which was a pretty depressing thought, really.
S1 (03:41):
Now you kind of did something very practical and positive
about it as well. Did you kind of set up
a kind of a some videos and kind of chronicling
how you were going and, and your treatment, etc.?
S2 (03:51):
Yeah, I did look encouraged by some friends. I mean,
at the time I was working as a producer, but
I'd never really turned the camera around on myself. And
so I had some friends that said, why don't you
just document the journey as you go? And I really
didn't feel like it. I thought, oh, it's pretty vulnerable,
scary stuff to be capturing. But with their encouragement, I did.
And from that very first night. I just started documenting
(04:12):
and it was really therapeutic. But also I ended up
putting that into a video, um, at the end to
show people, you know, what it's going through that experience, like,
you know, in sort of 60s and that sort of
led to some really amazing things. A book that I wrote,
Life is Tough, but so are you. And now this
connection with the Leukemia Foundation, where I, you know, help
(04:32):
raise awareness around blood cancers because it's something I'm incredibly
passionate about. But, you know, sadly, 55 Australians will be
diagnosed today with a blood cancer, you know, so and
we're going to lose 17 people sadly today to blood cancer.
And so it's just so critical that people know the
signs and symptoms so that they can get that early detection.
S1 (04:54):
Rodney how are you going at the moment? I mean,
you sound amazing.
S2 (04:57):
Yeah. Well thanks, Peter, I am so, uh, I'm so. Well,
it's just extraordinary. I'm. I'm sort of seven years in
remission now. Wow. And I've been amazingly able to have
two beautiful little boys since in the last two years.
So it's been it's been a big two years. But yeah.
So look, I'm, I'm tired for a different reason now,
(05:18):
but it's a much better reason. And at least I
know what it is this time. It's called staying up
all night breastfeeding.
S3 (05:24):
There you go.
S2 (05:25):
So no, I couldn't I couldn't be more grateful and
appreciative for all the support and health and the amazing,
you know, care I got in Australia. And thanks in
large part to the Leukaemia Foundation as well.
S1 (05:36):
Such a great message in terms of like, you know,
you might get this diagnosis can be scary, it can
be serious, but if things turn out well that there
is a great life after as well.
S2 (05:46):
Absolutely. You know, Peter, and it's something that I, you know,
with my book and the work I do with the
Leukaemia Foundation, I'm so passionate about sharing that message because
I know for me, in those early days, I needed
to see stories out there of people that had dealt
with this and got through it and that they had
a wonderful life. And particularly, you know, for me, seeing
women that had gone through it and then had children
(06:08):
on the other side. That was really important to know
that that was all possible. And just, you know, so
I hope my story can, yeah, shine a light and,
and be a bit of a beacon of hope for
those that are being diagnosed or will be diagnosed. Um, yeah.
Because it is a really obviously incredibly tough thing to
go through. But you can totally do it and get
through it and come out the other side and have
(06:28):
a wonderful life, as you say.
S1 (06:30):
You talked about the support you're getting from the foundation
and also giving it, and September is a very important
month to kind of highlight it and sort of put
an exclamation mark on it as well.
S2 (06:40):
Yeah, absolutely. You know, I mean, I was I was
so fortunate when I went through cancer that I had
my amazing mom and dad to sort of be there
with me, and I could live with them. And they
brought me in and out. But many people don't have that.
And you know what's worse than going through cancer? Well,
going through cancer without support. And so that's what I
love about the Leukemia Foundation. You know, they can provide accommodation,
(07:01):
they can provide assistance with transport to your appointments and
as well as education information and support. So you know
it's practical financial emotional mental health support. They they do
the lot which is why I love them and love
spreading the good work that they are doing.
S1 (07:16):
That's a great point about the practical support, isn't it? Because,
you know, that's really important because, you know, if you
need to get to appointments, and I guess particularly for
people who might not be necessarily living in the metropolitan area,
that can be a huge thing to be on their mind, which,
you know, you don't really need when you've got other
stuff to think about.
S2 (07:32):
Oh, absolutely. Peter, I will never forget leaving the Gold
Coast Hospital for treatment one day and seeing someone that
had been in the hospital and they were in a wheelchair,
and they're trying to get on a bus and get
out of there. And I just thought, oh my goodness me,
you know, like that, that is that is not okay
in this country. So, uh, yeah. And also, I think,
you know, the emotional and mental health support is just
(07:53):
so critical. I remember getting I got a call like
a few weeks after I'd finished chemo, and it was
a counsellor from the Leukaemia Foundation. She said, how are
you going? I said, oh, actually, I'm not going so well,
But I hadn't, you know, I wasn't seeing a counsellor.
I didn't have someone to really talk that through other
than my, you know, amazing family, but someone with the
(08:14):
skills and just having someone say, well, I'm here anytime
you want. And it's really normal to be feeling how
you're feeling. That was that was so, um, gratifying to
hear that it was so helpful. And it just, um,
knowing that that support was there really made a big difference.
S1 (08:29):
As you say, family support is fantastic. But when you
get that professional support and you know you're hearing it
from someone who knows their stuff, that's a powerful thing.
S2 (08:37):
Totally. And I think I was very resistant to that
at first. Peter. Right. Because I know I can do this.
I'm tough. I don't need I don't need it. And
I just said to everyone, now, please don't be like me,
you know, yes, you might be fine and you might
be able to get through it by yourself. But do
you think that if someone who has helped literally hundreds
of people get through this, that they might have a
few ideas that you could take away that might make
(08:57):
your day a bit easier and make this time a
bit easier, then why not just embrace that and you know,
know that it's not weak to get that support. and
it's actually really valid and really helpful.
S1 (09:07):
How can we get hold of your book, Brian? Is
it available?
S2 (09:09):
It is. Peter. Thank you. Yeah. Um, if people just,
you know, Google me basically. Brian e b r I
o NY Benjamin um, I've got a website there. Brian.
Benjamin um, and they can, they can get it, get
a copy there or pass it on to someone that's
going through a tough time through cancer. Yeah.
S1 (09:26):
Great point. We'll put those details up with our show
notes and also how people can support the Leukemia Foundation
during the month of September. Brian, great to talk to you.
Hopefully we can speak again in the future. And I've
got to say, it's really great to hear you sounding
so bright and bubbly and in good form. And, uh,
a big hug to Arden as well.
S2 (09:42):
Thank you. Peter, I'm a very lucky lady and I
really appreciate your help spreading the word about blood cancer.
S1 (09:47):
Benjamin Bera I'm an ambassador for the Leukemia Foundation. What
a wonderful ambassador. What a positive story also to be telling.
So we'll put those details up there, show notes. And
as I always say, if you have any difficulty accessing
them one 308 4746 give us a call here at
the radio station and we'll pass on the details.
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