“Five years ago, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer,” she said.
That diagnosis, heartbreaking for the mother of three young children, meant travelling to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre in Melbourne.
“They found it when I had my last baby. So I had a four-year-old and a two-year-old and a newborn when I was going through treatment, so that was really hard,” Ms Mancini said.
Though cancer treatment is never easy, for Ms Mancini it worked and she will be officially declared cancer-free in October.
The Katamatite local said the care she received from the centre staff’s was second-to-none.
“All the doctors and the nurses were amazing,” she said.
“I can’t thank them enough for how they treated me and how they treated my family. They were just so supportive.”
This excellent treatment left Ms Mancini, her sister who took her on every journey down to Melbourne, and the rest of her family with a desire to give back to the centre.
And with the new cafe, Ms Mancini found the perfect opportunity to give back.
From Monday, October 2, to Friday, October 6, $1 from every drink sold at Katamatite’s Triple Bean Cafe will go to the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre.
The donation is set to coincide with the centre’s annual Olivia’s Walk to Wellness on Sunday, October 8.
It’s a walk that Ms Mancini has been taking since her treatment.
Asked how cancer has changed her, Ms Mancini said life had more meaning.
“I don’t take things for granted anymore,” she said.
“When I was diagnosed, I had a young family. I had a newborn and I thought that I wouldn’t see them grow up.
“So that really was hard for me and my outlook on life has just completely changed.”
She hopes that anyone in the community who has been impacted by cancer can get behind her initiative.
“I feel like everyone in the community has either been through it themselves or know someone that is going through it right now and every little bit helps,” she said.
