Galy O’Connor wins fight to have rare asbestos cancer removed
- Mother of six Galy O’Connor was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer
- The 55-year-old believes it was caused by asbestos exposure as a teenager
- She needed surgery within six weeks but was stuck on a waiting list
- Her campaign to have the surgery attracted over 100,000 signatures
- Mrs O’Connor had the operation at Sydney’s St George Hospital this week
Sophie Haslett
and
Steven Trask For Daily Mail Australia
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Fitness instructor Galy O’Connor was in a race for her life after a rare and aggressive cancer attacked her abdomen.
The mother-of-six was told the specialist operation that could save her life had to be performed within six weeks, but she was stuck at the back of a lengthy waiting list.
And so began a mammoth campaign to have the surgery, which ended successfully this week when Mrs O’Connor, 55, went under the knife at Sydney’s St George Hospital.
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Galy O’Connor (pictured) has a shot at life after receiving the potentially-life saving surgery
Mrs O’Connor was a successful athlete when she was diagnosed with the rare cancer aged 50
Mrs O’Connor had dreams of climbing Mount Everest when, aged 50, she discovered a strange lump in her abdomen.
The lump turned out to be peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to harmful asbestos fibres.
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Professor David Morris specialises in surgery to remove Mrs O’Connor’s form of cancer, but she and others were stuck at the back of a massive waiting list.
Mrs O’Connor started a campaign – signed by more than 100,000 – for the NSW Government to free up spaces at St George Hospital so Professor Morris had the resources to perform the procedure on herself and others.
Galy speaks with her husband Brian before undergoing the procedure
The mother-of-six underwent the surgery after successfully petitioning the NSW Government
Mrs O’Connor was overcome with emotion when she found out her petition had been successful, and could save both her life and dozens more.
‘Well it’s absolutely amazing. We did it, I’m overwhelmed,’ she said in a video posted before the operation.
‘Thank you so much everybody. It’s only because of you that we have made it.
‘I’m off to the theatre in a couple of weeks. At least I’ve got a chance to live.’
Following Mrs O’Connor’s surgery earlier this week, Professor Morris said the early signs were positive.
The diagnosis was completely unexpected for the fitness instructor who one day planned to climb Mount Everest
The mother-of-six (centre) is pictured with various members of her family
Galy is pictured before she entered the operating theatre to have the cancer removed
In October, Mrs O’Connor told Daily Mail Australia she believed the cancer was caused by years of working in a paint-mixing factor as a teenager.
WHAT IS PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA?
* Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen and is the second most common type of mesothelioma.
* It makes up about 20 percent of all mesothelioma cases.
* Just like pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. When someone ingests microscopic asbestos fibers, the tiny sharp particles get embedded in the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum).
* Over a course of 20 to 50 years, the fibers in the peritoneum cause mutations in the surrounding healthy mesothelial cells. Constant genetic damage makes these cells cancerous, forming tumours on the peritoneum.
Source: Mesothelioma Group.
She had been living a healthy life for more than 30 years with no clue she had been exposed to harmful asbestos fibres.
‘I’d never had a cold in my life. I don’t do sickness,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘I went into shock and total disbelief when I found out; in some ways I still am in shock.’
Despite the shock diagnosis, she still tried to keep up her active lifestyle as she battled the cancer.
‘I exercise for an hour every single day, even though it’s agony,’ she said.
‘I also only eat at night because it’s so painful.
‘After I have done so, I take morphine so I can pass out. I’m aware I need to eat in order to keep my digestive system going and survive.’
Mrs O’Connor said her biggest fear was not being able to watch her grandchildren grow old.
‘My whole family has been engulfed by my illness, and my biggest fear is that I won’t see my grandchildren,’ she said.
‘I want to be here, and be a part of their lives.’
She said she also had not given up on her dream of scaling the world’s highest peak.
‘I still dream of climbing Mount Everest one day – I can do that, can’t I?’.
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