Hi All,  Thank you for visiting my sponsorship page.

Please help raise funds to give me the gift of my lifetime - a beautiful glass photographic portrait of myself by world-renowned portrait and fashion photographer Robbie Merritt - and support the work of an incredible local charity - Cancer Support WA.

Please show your support by sponsoring my portrait.

Thank you

Cara Kimber

Every journey of someone who is diagnosed with or survives cancer is different and what we all get out of the journey, is as individual as we all are.  I was 32 when I was diagnosed, I was emigrating from the UK to Australia and I was looking forward to my new life.  I was young and healthy - or so I thought..........then I found it, the lump in my breast that stopped my world from spinning!  It was unbelievable news to my ears, there was no family history of breast cancer and I was only 32.  Even my Oncologist, when she met me for the first time, was surprised at my young age.  But my body had made it's decision at this stage and I had to make mine to claim my body back.  I had no choice but to swap flights and new lives for hospital beds.  

It was a lot to come to grips with but I had people who supported me.  Everyone had different levels of acceptance but there were those (and there were a few :-), who were my rocks!  They made a huge difference to my journey and gave me strength, courage and something to fight for.  

I endured Chemotherapy and Herceptin for two years and was in and out of hospital.  It was arduous and painful but I was determined to beat it.  I even showed it I wasn't going to be beaten easily by completing a 5 km run to raise money for Cancer Research a few days after a chemo treatment and riding my horse Oska when I could.  The strong days were good days, the days where I wasn't going to be beaten but I still had days when I struggled, days I couldn't or wouldn't go and see my horse or walk the dog.  These are the sort of days that you need support, these are the sort of days you really appreciate the services and choices that a support group like Cancer Support WA can offer you. 

We all choose to take our journey differently.  I chose to have Chemotherapy.  I chose to have Herceptin.  I chose not to wear a wig when I lost my hair (and quite frankly I look good bald!).  I chose to remove the breast with the lump and I chose to have the second breast removed to strengthen my chances of never having to go through this again and in the end I chose to have reconstruction and a lovely job they did too!  

It has been a tough battle but I have managed to get through it with a belief that with the support you get from family and friends as well as organisations such as Cancer Support WA you can.  I have lived in Australia for 4 years now and love my new life and am so lucky to now have my new business doing what I love with horses - www.equineinfluence.com.au.

It has been tough doing this photo shoot, as I was always uncomforable showing my scars but I now realise they are evidence of my journey and the love and support I received.  It has also been tough for me to write this, to share my journey with new friends and old, with colleagues, acquaintances and strangers.  It is tough because I lost my step-brother to cancer only 5 weeks ago.  It is tough because my journey continues and cancer doesn't discriminate, leaving his loving wife and beautiful children to journey without him.  All of these things highlight that early detection, the best treatment for your journey and the best of support are the corner stones to that journey, wherever it takes you.

Cancer is one of those things that will touch all of our lives, so organisations like Cancer Support WA become more and more valuable and your sponsorship will make a huge difference.  I hope that you and your loved ones never have to meet this battle but if you do, I hope that Cancer Support WA will be your first choice of support and sponsorship that people like you have made, will enable them to offer you and your loved ones the support you need.  

Thank you for sponsoring my page and all of the other brave people who have had their photo taken for this fund raising exhibition.

To see the photo enlarged please go to -          

  http://www.youarebeautiful.cancersupportwa.org.au/#!Cara-Kimber/zoom/cfvg/imagewcs     

***YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL is a unique photographic exhibition and book project celebrating the life and stories of people touched by cancer. Organised by Cancer Support WA in partnership with celebrity photographer Robbie Merritt, Panther Graphics and other sponsors, the purpose of You are Beautiful is to bring awareness to the untold stories of people with cancer, and to raise funds for Cancer Support WA.  The exhibition features large scale portraits of 100 West Australians who have been touched by cancer. Each portrait reveals the story of each person by drawing out their unique beauty and emotion. Accompanying the portrait will be the personal story of each person featured.  The Preview Exhibition will be open to the public from the 2nd July -14th July at the PerthTown Hall, Barrack St, Perth CBD. Free entry.***

Help support the ongoing work of Cancer Support WA by sponsoring my portrait. I, like all of the You Are Beautiful participants, have been affected by cancer and your donations (of any size) are sincerely appreciated! Thank you.