'Koru Kiwis' by Lisa Tamati and Amanda Beaton

2011 design.

The inspiration behind our bandanna design was from our Maori and Pacific Island cultures and the journey CanTeeners embark on.  We used a connected Koru design in the shape of a kiwi to symbolise new beginnings, cherishing the past and being proud of our place in the world. - Lisa Tamati and Amanda Beaton.

Hi, my name is Amanda Beaton, I'm 24 years old and I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in October 2008. For most of 2008 I continuously had the flu and whilst Doctors prescribed antibiotics it kept coming back. I didn't think about it much at the time, but I also had itchy legs, night sweats, I lost a lot of weight in a short period of time and was always tired at work. It wasn't until I had a really bad fever that the Doctors sent me for an x-ray because they thought I had pneumonia. It was then they discovered a lump on my lungs.

It was a relief that I had finally found out what was wrong with me and I quickly begun treatment. I underwent chemotherapy for six months followed by three weeks of radiation. It's exhausting work fighting cancer. I was tired all the time, I lost my hair, food tasted metallic, etc. Once I'd finished treatment I had x-rays and scans which showed clear results which was great news.

However in September 2009 another lump appeared, this time in my neck. And so it began again… I had three months of chemotherapy to shrink the lump so that they could give me a stem cell transplant. After chemo they harvested my stem cells and froze them for this purpose. I didn't get the chance to have that transplant as I relapsed. A further two months of chemo enabled me to finally have that stem cell transplant in May of 2010. The transplant unit isn't much fun as you're isolated in a closed off room with visitors restricted to avoid you picking up any bugs because your immune system isn't working properly.

Flash forward to October. The results came back; the stem cell transplant didn't work. I'm currently undergoing more chemotherapy and continue to fight.

I wasn't introduced to CanTeen till 2009 and going through treatment this time around I know I'm in a better place thanks to CanTeen. It's a lot easier to talk and share your experience with people that are going through or have been through a similar experience.

It means a lot to always have somebody around whether it's a staff member or fellow CanTeener to talk to, hang out with, make you smile, offer a shoulder to cry on or sing a song with (my favourite thing to do).

CanTeen offers programmes that help you deal with grief, support others, provide leadership skills and empower you to grow as a person. But above all, CanTeen makes you feel like you're not going through it alone.

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