Bowel cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death for Victorians aged 25 - 44.
It’s affecting young parents, and people in the prime of their careers.
It’s threatening the lives of young mums like Natalie, who was diagnosed at 32.
Bowel cancer is causing immense suffering to people whose parents are still around to see it. And who are just becoming parents themselves.
Facing a potentially untreatable diagnosis, Natalie went into mum mode.
She bought shoes and clothes for her daughter Zoe’s future birthdays, terrified she wouldn’t be there to see her grow into them.
She filled the freezer with lasagne, so her family could still eat while she went through treatment – or if she was gone.
No parent should have to prepare for a life without their child, and no young mother should have to record her voice so her baby remembers her.

There is a way to reverse this trend and save the lives of young people. Associate Professor Daniel Buchanan has identified a specific gut bacteria called colibactin that damages DNA and triggers these early bowel cancers.
Help fund the research that could stop this bacteria in its tracks and save young lives.
Send a tax-deductible gift by 30 June. Your support can help us reverse this deadly trend and ensure our children can grow old.
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