Inspirational mum shares her survivor story ahead of Mother’s Day

Read an incredible mother’s story of how she juggled raising a child with special needs, battled breast cancer and finished her law degree all while nursing her dying mother.

Kathleen Wincen and her 9-year-old daughter Annabelle have been through more hardships together than most people have to in a lifetime, and this Mother's Day they will celebrate their incredible bond and the heartbreaking health journey they have overcome as mother and daughter. Picture: Bev Lacey

Motherhood has been nothing short of an incredible uphill battle for Kathleen Wincen as she draws daily strength and solace from her daughters.

She was 28 when she boarded a McCafferty’s bus bound for Canberra in 1998 after the birth of her eldest daughter Mariah.

Despite not finishing high school, the proud Indigenous mother said she always had big dreams of working in social justice.

She completed a Bachelor or Arts degree and then quickly enrolled to study law.

Kathleen Wincen and her daughter Annabelle share a close bond after overcoming multiple health conditions together. Picture: Bev Lacey

It was 16 years after boarding the bus when she met her husband- to-be, Luke, in Brisbane.

“Soon after we married we discovered I was pregnant which did come as a bit of a shock as I was an older mother,” she said.

She survived a “very difficult labour” for the birth of their daughter Annabelle, who doctors soon realised had a rare genetic condition.

Annabelle lives with ring mosaicism on chromosome three and also suffers from epilepsy.

“So she’s had to overcome a lot of challenges in her young life,” Mrs Wincen said.

“Annabelle was just over two and I was still breastfeeding her when I was diagnosed with stage three advanced breast cancer in June of 2014 so we’ve certainly been through the trenches together, learning how to live with her condition and battling mine.”

After a lumpectomy, a mastectomy and beginning treatment in October 2014, Mrs Wincen finished her last round of active chemotherapy treatment in January 2016 before her mother passed away three days later.

“Mum was also a breast cancer survivor so losing her at that time was extremely hard,” Mrs Wincen, 51, said.

But she had managed to finish her law degree while going through 15 months of chemotherapy, raising Annabelle and caring for her mother, who had moved in with her.

Kathleen Wincen with her two daughters and two granddaughters, (from left) granddaughter Carlee, Kathleen, daughter Annabelle, daughter Mariah (back) and granddaughter Chloe. Picture: Bev Lacey

“It took me 14 years, but I did it and I hope other mothers out there can hear my story and know that dreams are possible and just because you’re a mum doesn’t mean it has to stop you,” she said. “Now I work in social justice and I have my two girls, two beautiful granddaughters and my family to thank for getting me through it all.”