Friends start fundraiser for Simone Boulton’s cancer fight

Friends and family vow to give a Wurtulla mum special experiences with her two daughters following her five-year cancer battle and terminal diagnosis.

Simone Boulton continues to fight a terminal cancer diagnosis.

The community is rallying behind a Sunshine Coast mum with a terminal cancer diagnosis as friends vow to make her remaining time with her children special.

Simone Boulton worked alongside her dad, Ian “Buschie” Busch, at Maroochydore News at the Big Top Shopping Centre for many years and was also a flight attendant.

Her father died suddenly in 2020 and was described as an “icon” of Maroochydore.

In 2017, at 40 years old, Mrs Boulton was diagnosed with a tumour in her adrenal gland that had spread to organs including her kidney and liver.

She had a seven-and-a-half hour operation to remove the tumours.

Ian Busch and his daughter Simone Boulton worked together for many years at Maroochydore News at the Big Top Shopping Centre.

In 2019, she had part of her lung removed and, earlier this year, the doctors told her the cancer had spread to her bones after she started experiencing excruciating back and hip pain that led to hospital stays.

Mrs Boulton said her doctors gave her two years to live without treatment and she decided to have chemotherapy, which she began on October 31.

Simone Boulton is continuing to fight a terminal cancer diagnosis.

In her five-year battle, she has already undergone 65 rounds of radiation and other therapies.

The Wurtulla resident said she and her husband, Adam, had told their two girls that “mummy is sick” because her health had started to decline.

“It was really hard,” Mrs Boulton said.

“They know mummy is going to lose her hair but mummy is in the best place (in the hospital) and they’ve never asked about dying or anything.”

Simone Boulton and her family, from left, Remi, 7, Adam and Maya, 11.

In the past few months, Mrs Boulton has lost about 25kg and her hospital stays have become more frequent.

Her friend Emily Glasson said that only three months earlier, Mrs Boulton – who learnt her work ethic from her dad – was still doing a lot of “really physical” cleaning work.

“She’s not afraid of hard work, she’s not afraid to get her hands dirty,” Ms Glasson said.

Simone Boulton, pictured in 2017, used to work at her father’s newsagency in the Big Top Shopping Centre in Maroochydore.

The pair has been friends since they met in Year One at Stella Maris Catholic School in Maroochydore.

“We’ve grown up together,” Ms Glasson said.

“We’ve been in each other’s lives, all the eighteenths, the twenty-firsts, the thirtieths, all the pregnancies and babies together, all the things.”

Ms Glasson is determined to raise money, and prayers and positive thinking, for Mrs Boulton to alleviate her family’s financial stress and give her special experiences with her girls.

A fundraiser she started six days ago had already attracted more than $15,000.

She said her friend’s “stoic strength” had served her well throughout her cancer battle.

“She’s refused to let the illness define her,” Ms Glasson said.

Mrs Boulton’s husband, Adam, is still working but knows that eventually his wife will need full-time care.

He said that Mrs Boulton dreamt of travelling in a hot-air balloon with their daughters, Maya, 11, and Remi, 7.

Simone Boulton and her family from left, Maya, 11, Adam and Remi, 7.

He said his wife would fight her cancer “to the very end” and that she was giving him strength throughout their experience.

“I don’t think a lot of people would still be here, and even now she’s more worried about everyone else and what it’s doing to them,” he said.

He said he was blown away by the community donations.

Mrs Boulton also said the community’s generosity was “beautiful”.

She said her cancer battle had taught her to “not sweat the small stuff” and to appreciate “everything”.

“Tell everybody you love them,” Mrs Boulton said.

“Lots of cuddles, lots of kisses, just looking into each other’s eyes and no fighting.”

You can donate here.

Originally published as Friends start fundraiser for Simone Boulton’s cancer fight