Imagine being a fit and healthy 33-year-old, only to discover that you're battling stage four metastatic cancer. This was the shocking reality for Brisbane woman Carmen Keogh, whose gut instinct led her to a life-changing diagnosis. In a world where we often prioritize busy schedules over our health, Carmen’s story serves as a powerful reminder to listen to our bodies.

It was a routine check-up in late 2024 that turned Carmen’s life upside down. Despite feeling perfectly fine, a PET scan revealed a grim truth: her body was riddled with tumors, affecting her liver, lungs, lymph nodes, subcutaneous tissue, and bones. Carmen recalled, 'I was more in shock than anything, I remember just thinking, "are you sure that’s my scan?"'

Seven years earlier, Carmen had a mole removed, which doctors deemed harmless. However, with cancer in her family history, she insisted on its removal. That mole was later identified as a Clark Level IV melanoma. At the time, she was reassured that the cancer had not spread, but fate had other plans.

Fast forward to today, Carmen’s journey has become a brutal fight against cancer. After undergoing five rounds of immunotherapy that failed to halt the cancer’s progression, she was left with limited options. The only remaining treatment, therapy tablets, came with rare and frightening side effects. Yet, she found a glimmer of hope as these side effects eventually wore off, and the visible tumors began to shrink.

However, the battle is far from over. Carmen faces the harsh reality that she may eventually become resistant to the treatment. With a five-year survival rate for stage four metastatic cancer in Australia being less than 25 percent, she chooses to remain hopeful yet cautious about her prognosis.

Juggling a demanding full-time job at Hail Creek mine with regular medical appointments, Carmen embodies resilience. Having lost her mother to ovarian cancer at the tender age of 17, she understands all too well the importance of trusting one’s instincts about health. 'Don't ignore your body even if you feel healthy,' she advises. 'Keep up with regular checks and trust your gut if something feels off.'

Carmen’s loved ones are rallying support through a GoFundMe campaign to help manage her soaring medical expenses, which could exceed $90,000 for experimental treatments. They emphasize that 'fighting cancer is hard enough — but fighting to afford to stay alive is an impossible weight.' With her spirit unbroken, Carmen is not just planning for survival; she’s dreaming of a European holiday and hopes to one day start a family of her own.