Mum-of-two Tammy Millanta collapses in pool of her own blood, diagnosed with cervical cancer
Mum-of-two Tammy Millanta collapsed in a pool of blood before doctors delivered devastating news that has left her fighting to see her young sons grow up.
Mum-of-two Tammy Millanta knew something was wrong after she collapsed expelling enough blood to cover her kitchen floor.
“My husband was absolutely frightened that I would not make it home that night or be alive the next day,” the 36-year-old told The Advertiser.
“I was absolutely frightened, I didn’t think I’d make it through because of the amount of blood that was coming out.”
Ms Millanta, who had been heavily bleeding vaginally for months leading up to that day in January 2024, eventually called an ambulance to her Elizabeth Downs home and was brought to Gawler Hospital.
There she was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer.
“I was just numb,” she said.
“I was only 35, we were trying for another baby — we had two young boys and we wanted a girl.
“When we heard it was cancer we didn’t know what to do.”
When Ms Millanta began bleeding at first, she thought she may have miscarried.
She visited a doctor who told her she hadn’t been pregnant and the bleeding should cease.
“We were completely lost,” the stay-at-home-mum said.
After the diagnosis, Ms Millanta began treatment. She underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and brachytherapy, a type of internal radiation therapy, which rendered her menopausal and unable to have anymore children.
“It’s upsetting … but we have to keep going for the boys, that’s the only thing we can do,” she said.
Since finishing treatment, Ms Millanta said she “has gone into “remission” but continues to face health complications.
She has lymphedema, a chronic, incurable condition caused by a build-up of fluid, in her legs, as well as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“My legs don’t work anymore, I’m very unsteady on my legs, I can’t walk long distances anymore,” she said.
“I have trouble breathing quite often.”
She is undergoing further tests after finding blood in her stool.
“I just want to get well for my boys and see them grow up,” she said.
Her husband, David ‘Davo’ Brockhoff, 44, quit his job to care for her and their sons — Dontaye, 7, and Ryder, 6 — when she was diagnosed.
Mr Brockhoff’s mother was also diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at the same time as Ms Millanta.
“Both of my husband’s main women were diagnosed with cancer and he didn’t know what to do,” Ms Millanta said.
“But he stepped up and became Mum and Dad very quickly.
“I spent a lot of time in hospital last year during treatment because I was really unwell, there was a time I wasn’t able to walk or able to get myself to the toilet.”
If you’d like to donate to Tammy and her family, you can here.
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Originally published as Mum-of-two Tammy Millanta collapses in pool of her own blood, diagnosed with cervical cancer
