‘She’s got some strength and spirit in her’: Mum-of-four Tara Tedge’s Crohn’s disease masks bowel cancer diagnosis

After dismissing her symptoms and collapsing multiple times on her home floor, Tara Tedge was diagnosed with a life-altering disease which she wants to raise awareness for so no-one else has to go through what she is.

Tara Tedge was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer after she collapsed at home and was admitted into intensive care.

She dismissed her symptoms as a product of Crohn’s disease. A diagnosis the 48-year-old received when she was a teenager.

A former work colleague and friend, Fiona Donnelly told The Advertiser, “she wants to make people aware to not allow another disease to mask a diagnosis of cancer.”

“And to follow up on things appropriately to make sure that people don’t have to go through what she’s going through,” Donnelly said.

Tara Tedge was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer around 12 months ago. Picture: Supplied

Tara was a former nurse who collapsed at home after feeling unwell. Picture: Supplied

The mum-of-four was diagnosed in late 2023 and has since been undergoing treatment.

“She didn’t share her diagnosis with her colleagues at work at all (at first),” Ms Donnelly said.

“She’s been here for 25 years with us … but she didn’t share it because she doesn’t like to see people upset because of her. She doesn’t want to see people crying.”

Ms Tedge, who was a nurse, was feeling unwell at home and collapsed.

“She had been doing that and hiding it from people because she thought it was a part of her Crohns,” Ms Donnelly said.

Eventually her dad brought her into the emergency room at a private hospital and she was rushed to ICU.

There an emergency bowel surgery and further tests revealed stage four, aggressive bowel cancer.

“It’s been a hell of a journey and she wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” Ms Donnelly said.

Ms Donnelly said Ms Tedge is “fighting and wants to stay alive for her kids and her family”.

“Her family and her work life are the most important things to her,” she said.

“I’m trying to support her with what’s happening at the moment … so just have to have fingers crossed for the best, and for her, because she’s fighting hard. She’s got some strength and spirit in her that’s unbelievable.”

If you’d like to donate to Ms Tedge you can here.

Originally published as ‘She’s got some strength and spirit in her’: Mum-of-four Tara Tedge’s Crohn’s disease masks bowel cancer diagnosis