There are almost 2.7 million carers in Australia, but many people who provide support to someone with breast cancer don't see themselves as a carer - especially if the person with breast cancer is a partner, a child or a close family member. Stuart Diver was the sole survivor of the 1997 Thredbo landslide which killed 18 people, including his first wife Sally. He found love again with his second wife Rosanna, however she was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after they returned from their honeymoon and Stuart cared for her until she died from metastatic breast cancer in 2015. Stuart is still living in Thredbo, where he is raising his and Rosanna's young daughter Alessia. In this episode of Upfront, Stuart speaks about his experience supporting Rosanna through early and then metastatic breast cancer, and the importance of carers being proactive about their own mental and physical wellbeing in a time of stress and uncertainty.

RESOURCES:

• BCNA's My Journey Online Tool
• BCNA Online Network
• Caring for someone with early breast cancer
• Fear of breast cancer recurrence
• Metastatic breast cancer and fear of cancer progression
• GP Mental Healthcare plan treatment information
• Tips from carers on how friends and family can support them

Upfront About Breast Cancer is a production of Breast Cancer Network Australia. Our theme music is by Tara Simmons, and this episode was made possible through the Supporting Women In Rural Areas Diagnosed with Breast Cancer program, funded by the Australian Government through Cancer Australia.