Toowoomba mum Alix Keilty-Barrett opens up about shock brain cancer diagnosis and health battle

Nothing brings this Toowoomba woman more joy than being with her children. Now she has opened up about the heartbreaking moment she had to tell them about her cancer diagnosis.

Single mum Alix Keilty-Barrett, pictured with daughter, is fighting cancer and looking for employment. Picture: Kevin Farmer

When a doctor told Alix Keilty-Barrett she had brain cancer, all she could think of was “what will happen to my children?”

Sadly 35-year-old is all too familiar with health complications, after battling three auto-immune conditions and surviving throat and thyroid cancer all in the past five years.

Diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, Graves’ and Spinal Degenerative Diseases, Ms Keilty-Barrett also suffers from severe carpal tunnel and sciatica.

But the biggest blow came in January when doctors discovered a 7cm tumour on the cortex of her right frontal lobe.

Single mum Alix Keilty-Barrett is fighting cancer and looking for employment. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“For months I was constantly getting really bad headaches but I just assumed they were to do with my auto-immune diseases,” Ms Keilty-Barrett said.

“The doctor was shocked by how calm I was when he told me (I had brain cancer) but with everything else going on it just felt like another hit.”

The diagnosis came as a shock to the single mum who has three kids under the age of 13 and also fosters a teenage girl, as there was no history of brain cancer in her family.

While Ms Keilty-Barrett said she was concerned about the placement of the tumour, her focus has remained solely on her children.

“My mind just went straight to the kids – I need to be here for my children,” Ms Keilty-Barrett said.

“The kids are so used to seeing me sick but I have really tried to shelter them from the more horrific side of my illness because I don’t want them to worry that their mum may not be around one day.

“One of my daughters is only eight so she doesn’t really understand what cancer is – she just thinks mum is a bit unwell.”

Single mum Alix Keilty-Barrett, pictured with daughter, is fighting cancer and looking for employment. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Despite her optimism, the strong Toowoomba woman said some days were harder than others but her children were always her biggest motivators.

When the bad thoughts do start to seep in, she also spends time outside in her garden to distract herself.

“It would be so easy to let the negativity in and stay in bed every day but I keep going for my kids … I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them and they are my life,” Ms Keilty-Barrett said.

“Life is tough but we are tougher.”

As the cost of living continues to rise and with Ms Keilty-Barrett unable to work full-time, she said the family were currently relying on Centrelink payments to get by.

She said while she found it difficult to accept help from others, generous donations and support from the public had also assisted with maintaining general living experiences.

Single mum Alix Keilty-Barrett is fighting cancer and looking for employment. Picture: Kevin Farmer

This included a random act of kindness by a stranger who gave the family money to buy new clothes for the kids as well as assistance provided through Emerge.

Currently on a public health waiting list to see a neurologist, Ms Keilty-Barrett said she may require surgery, chemotherapy and further treatments but is currently on medication to manage the pain.

She encouraged the public to always put their health first, talk to their GP if something seemed irregular and to always use support services available.