Community
22 October, 2023
Stephanie’s legacy lives on
The death of courageous breast cancer awareness advocate Stephanie Bell has inspired her husband Geoff Bell to commemorate her remarkable legacy during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, reminding women across the Far North to check their breasts regularly.
Mareeba woman Stephanie Bell had been battling breast cancer since 1994, fiercely advocating and raising awareness through her testimony until her tragic death on October 11, 2023.
Ms Bell’s husband Geoff highlights her unbreakable spirit and kind-hearted personality through the years and her stern message encouraging women to get checked.
“Stay awake – if you think you need to do it (get checked), go do it and don’t mess around,” he said.
“Even when she was first diagnosed with it (cancer), it was like something prompted her to go have mammograms after she had it removed.
“In the case where she was having three monthly scans, she was there in between the three months, and these things popped up out of nowhere … it was just so quick and so savage.”
Being remembered as a vibrant woman, Mr Bell said Stephanie’s legacy would continue to live on.
“I loved her dearly. She was just a vibrant woman, and she was very active when she was active, and this thing knocked her around a little bit but if anyone reads this and wants to donate to the Cancer Council (please do),” he said.
“I said to people I don’t want any flowers if you want to do something in her name, donate.”
Stephanie Bell spent her entire teenage and adult life fighting breast cancer, which was a result of hormonal changes from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis.
At 20, she had to undergo ovary cyst removal due to the severity of her condition. Subsequently, she endured a hysterectomy in 1992 due to the worsening endometriosis.
This surgical history necessitated a precautionary mammogram in 1994, as the prescribed post-surgery drugs posed a potential cancer risk.
The mammogram unexpectedly revealed calcification in the milk ducts of her right breast, marking the beginning of her cancer journey.
The calcification was confirmed to be malignant, prompting the removal of a 50-cent-sized tissue from her breast for further testing.
After a few years of being cancer-free, Ms Bell faced a recurrence, necessitating another surgery to remove three-quarters of her right breast.
Despite her resilient spirit, the cancer persisted, and in 2017, while traveling to visit family, Ms Bell discovered lumps in her other breast. Further tests confirmed metastatic breast cancer, a shocking and devastating revelation.
The intervening years, from 2008 to 2017, involved numerous tests and screenings, but the enlarged lymph nodes on the left side went undetected.
Tragically, during this period, the cancer aggressively spread throughout her body, invading her bones. This grim discovery left her devastated.
In April 2022, Ms Bell received the devastating news – the cancer had metastasised to her liver and she was given a life expectancy of two to seven years. She kept sharing her story until the last day, to ensure more women got checked on time.
“She was a survivor and a warrior,” Mr Bell said.
To honour Stephanie’s legacy, donations can be made via the Cancer Council, by visiting https://bit.ly/3FiQBOe
