Nadine Campbell: Bokarina mum diagnosed with cancer, facing homelessness

A former Sunshine Coast cafe owner is fighting a battle on two fronts after being diagnosed with a deadly illness while her family struggles to find a rental.

A former Sunshine Coast cafe owner has revealed her fight for life after being diagnosed with stage four cancer while battling to find a home during the region’s rental crisis.

Bokarina mum Nadine Campbell, 48, was diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer on October 5, 2022 after weeks of tests and hospital visits.

Further examinations by doctors revealed lesions littered throughout her body including in her brain, bowel, kidney and in her leg.

Mrs Campbell, a mother to her three children Tiana, Aleah and Sharni and husband to Don, was devastated when she was given a 60 per cent chance of survival.

Nadine Campbell.

“You’re facing your own mortality, and life going on with your kids and your family,” Mrs Campbell said.

“I want to see my kids have children and get married, and that’s just the hardest thing to think about at the moment.”

What was cruel to the Bokarina mum was that she classed herself as someone who enjoys her time indoors and had limited exposure to UV rays.

Nadine and Don Campbell with their children Tiana, Aleah and Sharni.

The Campbells are well known on the Sunshine Coast after owning Sunshine Sunshine Espresso in Currimundi from 2017 to 2019.

It’s here the hospitality duo serviced the area with delectable treats and strong brews of coffee until they sold the business.

Nadine Campbell in hospital.

The 48-year-old mum said they left the business so she could focus more on her family, however three years on they were now in a dire position.

Mr Campbell left casual work at Minyama FoodWorks to look after his wife as she can succumb to regular seizures due to the lesions on her brain.

Sunshine Coast surf tragedies: Statistics reveal beach fatalities

Jack Bemrose: Woombye boy diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma

The Bokarina family are living with Mrs Campbell’s mother as they struggle to find suitable accommodation in the midst of the Sunshine Coast’s rental crisis.

Mrs Campbell said they’ve been knocked back from “hundreds of inspections” after being evicted from their previous home due to a rise in rent.

She said there was currently no income coming into their home due to her husband leaving work while they wait for Centrelink support.

A GoFundMe has been created to help the family with living costs while Mrs Campbell battled her illness.

You can donate here.

Originally published as Nadine Campbell: Bokarina mum diagnosed with cancer, facing homelessness