Scanlon Wines’ Joanne Scanlon loses fight with brain cancer

A popular Adelaide Hills winery has lost its matriarch after a heroic battle with brain cancer. Now her family is joining the fight to find a cure.

Joanne Scanlon with her husband Justin. Picture: Supplied by family

Joanne Scanlon’s sons have always protected their mum but when she was diagnosed with an inoperable, incurable brain cancer, heartbreakingly there was little they could do.

After a fierce 16-month battle with the devastating illness, Joanne lost her life on August 11.

Now her three boys and husband Justin are doing everything to ensure no family has to go through what they did by raising funds for Cure Brain Cancer Australia.

“I would never wish this on my absolute worst enemy,” Joanne’s son Harry Scanlon, 25, told The Advertiser.

“To watch her go through such a horrific, horrific disease … where it really inhibits your quality of life.

“There’s no words that can really put into just how hard it is to watch someone you love and want to protect go through that.”

Joanne Scanlon lost her battle with brain cancer earlier this year. Now her family is donating the profits from the sale of their wines. Picture: Supplied by family

The Scanlon’s family business Scanlon Wines dedicated and named a wine after Joanne in 2022, with all profits added to their previous appeal for donations – with almost $25,000 raised so far.

All profits from Scanlon Wines’ sales during November will also be added.

“We’ve been raising funds for brain cancer because it’s so underfunded,” Harry said.

“You can be the healthiest person ever and you can be young but it doesn’t matter.”

Brain cancer kills more children in Australia than any other disease and more people under 40 than any other cancer.

Scanlon Wines named a wine after Joanne in 2022 with all profits donated to find a cure for brain cancer. Picture: Supplied by family

Joanne Scanlon worked as a full-time accountant and helped around the family winery. Picture: Supplied by family

There wasn’t anyone who wouldn’t describe Joanne as a hard worker. A full-time accountant by day, a winery labourer by night and a wife and mother always.

“Mum was probably the most selfless individual that you could imagine,” Harry said.

“She never thought about herself, she would never do anything for herself. All she did was for our family.”

Joanne’s family is now raising money to fund a cure for brain cancer. Picture: Supplied by family

At the beginning of 2022, Joanne began forgetting words. Believing she may be struggling with stress, she went to her GP who referred her for an MRI.

The mum-of-three was later diagnosed with glioblastoma – an incurable, inoperable brain cancer where only five per cent of people survive five years.

Doctors told her she had six to 12 months to live.

Within two weeks of her diagnosis Joanne was unable to speak and stopped understanding the people around her.

“To have a disease that really just strips you of your sense of self and your ability to talk and converse with everyone around it – it is really probably one of the single worst things,” Harry said.

For Harry and his brothers, not being to protect their mum from brain cancer was the hardest part of watching her go through it.

“All we want to do is protect our mum,” he said.

Joanne Scanlon was born on December 12, 1963, and she passed away on August 11, 2023, aged 59.

She is survived by her husband Justin and three sons Liam, Harry and Tom.

Donate to the Scanlon family’s fundraiser to find a cure for brain cancer here.

Originally published as Scanlon Wines’ Joanne Scanlon loses fight with brain cancer