St Joseph’s College student Emily Chandler receives Zonta Club of Toowoomba Young Women in Public Affairs 2023 award

A devastating, life-threatening and rare cancer diagnosis in the earliest years of someone’s life could lead to resentment for most people, but for this Toowoomba teen, the experience only spurred on her desire to help others in need.

Emily Chandler may have spent some of the earliest moments of her life in hospital fighting a serious form of cancer, but rather than be resentful, the experience only fed her passion to help others in need.

At the young age of four, Ms Chandler was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia – a rare, fast-growing and the most fatal type of blood cancer.

After being rushed to a Brisbane hospital, she remained there for six months, undergoing chemotherapy and was later declared cancer-free.

Zonta Club of Toowoomba Young Women in Public Affairs 2023 award recipient Emily Chandler at home with Winnie and Corona (back). Picture: Kevin Farmer

“It all happened very quickly but I remember being pretty bored during my treatment, so I tried to keep busy by going to the little hospital school,” Ms Chandler said.

“I think the experience taught me there are so many people who have it worse off, there’s so much others can do to help them and it just gave me a different perspective of what else is happening in the world.”

Despite how challenging the experience was for her and her family at the time, Ms Chandler said her health journey inspired her inner social justice warrior.

Now aged 17, the year 12 Toowoomba student who is set to graduate from St Joseph’s College in a little over three months, was announced as the 2023 Zonta Club of Toowoomba’s Young Women in Public Affairs recipient.

Every year a young woman aged between 16 and 19 is selected from a group of applicants, to receive the award for each district, based on their demonstration of leadership, service commitment and community involvement.

Zonta Club of Toowoomba Young Women in Public Affairs 2023 award recipient Emily Chandler at home. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Ms Chandler has been the president of her school’s Interact Club for the past two years and has led the charge of several fundraising and awareness campaigns, helping vulnerable members of the community through the Rosies Outreach Program.

On Wednesday (today), 19 students and two staff members from St Joseph’s will join Ms Chandler in cutting or shaving their hair for the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave.

It will mark the second time the senior high school student has braved the shave after she first participated in the heartfelt campaign four years ago.

“My drive for social justice issues all started with the World’s Greatest Shave,” Ms Chandler said.

“At the time that’s all I had and it was the only way I could think I could give back and help others.”

Zonta Club of Toowoomba Young Women in Public Affairs 2023 award recipient Emily Chandler will shave her hair for charity. Picture: Kevin Farmer

The award recipient, who will receive an $1000 scholarship, said the funds would help cover her studying and living expenses as she plans to relocate to study at Griffith University next year.

Inspired by the occupational therapists who assisted her while she underwent chemotherapy, Ms Chandler said she hoped to pursue the career within the paediatric department to “give other kids the amazing experience” she had.