Yesterday, September 1st, I had the privilege of attending Parliament for So Brave’s first of three Round Tables, where a remarkable group of young women courageously shared their experiences of diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. I was also honoured to be part of their inaugural National Day of Awareness for Young Women’s Breast Cancer.

During the Round Table, I engaged with the Hon. Mark Butler MP, Minister for Health, Disabilities and Ageing; the Parliamentary Friends of Cancer Care and Cure Co-chairs, Senator Deborah O’Neill and Senator Wendy Askew; along with key stakeholders from parliament, policy, cancer organisations, and patient advocates. Together, we focused on Pregnancy-Associated Cancers and the barriers to early diagnosis—an issue at the heart of this petition.

Financial strain and delayed diagnoses were recurring themes. Too often, young women face dismissal from medical professionals or endure multiple appointments before being taken seriously. One brave young woman I met, Alisha, spent over six months seeking a diagnosis and calculated her out-of-pocket costs at nearly $4,000. You can follow her journey on Instagram at @lish_fights_cancer.

Hearing these stories firsthand has only strengthened my resolve to keep fighting—for those whose voices aren’t always heard, and for the young women who will face these battles in the future.