Nursing graduate Georgia McLennan returns to hospital after surviving a shock cancer diagnosis

A mysterious pain in her stomach led to a horror diagnosis for Georgia McLennan, almost costing the Gold Coast nursing student her life. But now she will head back to hospital - this time to help others as a graduate nurse. This is her remarkable story.

Georgia McLennan has survived a difficult battle with Burkitt's lymphoma.

GEORGIA McLennan has gone from fighting for her life as a cancer patient to helping save others as a nurse at the very same hospital.

Ms McLennan was due to start a placement at Gold Coast University Hospital in 2017 when she was diagnosed with stage four Burkitt’s Lymphoma.

Years on and after a long cancer battle she is now finally ready to embark on her career as one of the hospital’s new nursing intakes.

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Gold Coast nurse Georgia McLennan

Ms McLennan said her time spent in hospital had helped prepare her for her nursing career.

“I felt like I learnt so much about nursing as a patient. I felt like it really aided my learning and will make me a special nurse because I understand what it feels like to be a patient from so many angles.

“Being here for that long, you go through what it feels like to be an outpatient, coming to appointments, going to scans, going to emergency, being on the ward, having ­biopsies.

“I kind of got to feel what it would feel like for my patients and how the whole medical team can really affect someone’s time. I’m glad that I can apply that to my patients going forward.

“I loved this hospital so much. Because of the way I was treated and because I saw them as saving my life and every interaction I had here was a positive one, I just had this dream of working here.

“I just kept holding on to the hope that I would one day get a job here.

“I just felt overwhelmed with gratitude that I was alive and that I got my dream job and I felt really proud.”

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Georgia McLennan has survived a difficult battle with Burkitt's lymphoma.

Despite her time in oncology, the community health, alcohol and other drugs ward fuelled her passion.

“I just felt like it fit right for me. I really feel like that’s what I love doing and I can’t believe I get paid to look after people or care for people.

“I just thought honestly these people are in a group in society who are judged and vulnerable and I wanted to learn more about them and their stories.

“And all of them have incredible stories and they are very resilient people and I just wanted to be compassionate towards people who do not really experience much compassion.”

Gold Coast Health has filled 190 graduate nurses and midwife positions in 2020, including 21 midwives and 20 mental health nurses and last month opened up their mid-year intake.

Georgia McLennan during her treatment.

WHEN SHE GRADUATED IN 2019: 

GEORGIA McLennan had always wanted to be a nurse — but cancer had other plans.

Now happy and healthy Georgia kicked off her final year at university in late 2019, and hoping to work in oncology, just like the compassionate nurses who looked after her in her hour of need.

“I am just excited to hopefully graduate this year and be part of a medical team, I am just very lucky,” the excited student told the Bulletin.

On New Year’s Eve 2015 the then 23-year-old nursing student first began to experience mysterious pains in her stomach.

By May she was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, a severe cancer which was set to rob her of her life if it had been identified any later.

The news forced her to put her dreams on hold as she spent countless hours in and out of hospital.

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Georgia McLennan has had an incredible recovery after being diagnosed with cancer at 23.

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“I was actually diagnosed the day I was supposed to begin my placement in the oncology ward as a nursing student, it was weird how it worked out,” Georgia told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

“By that stage I was really tired and nauseous, and constantly falling asleep.

“I would sleep all day finding it hard to concentrate with the pain.

“Really, I was worried they weren't going to find out what was happening and I was going to spend forever not knowing.”

Shocking PET scans revealed the extent of the cancer which had spread throughout her body.

She began treatment immediately.

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Georgia McLennan has made an amazing recovery after being diagnosed with cancer at 23. Despite seeming healthy and vibrant, scans showed the disease had spread through much of her body.

During her time in hospital Ms McLennan said she got to see the other side of the hospital experience.

“I learnt what it felt like to be a patient and not know what is happening,” she said.

“You are there in the scariest moment of your life so it is important people who recognise that are around you,” she said.

“I really want to be a compassionate and considerate nurse as I understand how hard things can be for people in that position.”

Now in recovery it has taken a long time for Ms McLennan to get back into study mode.

“I found it really hard to study again, it was like I had been in survival mode for so long,” she said.

As part of her final year, Ms McLennan successfully applied for a Redkite and Coles Dare to Dream Scholarship.

The $2000 grant went toward her studies in nursing at Griffith University.

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In the hopes of sharing her experience with those who are going through a similar situation, Georgia used part of her scholarship to purchase a camera so that she could document her journey online, raise awareness of common diseases and normalise cancer.

“Everything is put on hold when you go through cancer and you’re not sure if you’re ever going to live a regular life again. This scholarship has given me hope that I can be normal and have an incredibly fulfilling life despite the adversities I’ve faced,” she said.

“I am in a really happy and healthy place now.”