Life After Cancer: Adry’s Story

Adry is now celebrating 10 years of being cancer free. From diagnosis, to finally being told he is in remission, Adry’s cancer experience along with the support from his family and Redkite has brought him a long way.

In his final year of high school, Adry was a top performing student, school captain and all-round high achiever. He was focused on sitting the HSC, performing well, going to university, and planning what life would look like after year 12.

In the lead up to mid-term exams, Adry experienced months of pain and lethargy which he put it down to the stress of school.

Adry then discovered a lump in his testicles. After going through various tests and the stress of not knowing what the future held, Adry was given the devastating diagnosis of testicular cancer.

He was immediately worried about how it would affect his ability to sit his exams. Things were a lot worse than Adry had expected and it started to shift his mentality and outlook on life. The identity that he had spent so much time working towards, had changed suddenly and it was tough for Adry to accept. He went in for emergency surgery 10 days after his diagnosis, followed by chemotherapy, hoping it would ensure that the cancer never came back.

Unfortunately, later that same year, Adry’s check-up results showed the cancer had spread.

The devastating news meant that Adry needed six weeks of intense radiotherapy, which he recalls as being one of the most difficult experiences of his life.

Adry had to take a gap year between high school and university, due to the effects treatment had on his mental and physical health. It was then Adry was referred to Redkite by his youth cancer services team at Prince of Wales Hospital.
He received support from the Redkite education and career support counsellors, so he could explore potential career paths. Redkite helped Adry refine his focus and gave him the knowledge and skills he needed to make his decisions for his future.

Adry chose a path in media and communications and is today working in alumni relations at the University of New South Wales, dealing with the global alumni community across all events, volunteer, mentoring, and lifelong learning programs.

“When I was placed in remission, I made the conscious decision to only commit my time and energy to causes that I felt deeply connected to, and could impact the community in the most positive way.”

Today, Adry credits his success and well-rounded life to the support he received from Redkite. From providing educational resources, career advice and financial support, Redkite was there to help him recover from his cancer experience.

As Adry started getting healthier, he felt it was important to give back by becoming involved in ambassador and volunteering opportunities.

“Redkite showed me, the value of connecting with other people who have been through experiences similar to mine. They have really shaped the person that I am today. Without Redkite, my life would not have been as rich and fulfilling as it is now.”

Adry strongly believes that those who donate and support Redkite not only impact the lives of children diagnosed with cancer, but also the lives of their family and extended support network.

“Redkite provides the value of not only enriching the life of the young cancer patient, but also the family around them. By supporting Redkite, you are not just impacting the life the person who has been affected by cancer, your generosity will trickle down and impact many lives and generate positive outcomes for many more years to come.”

“This 10 year milestone, or 10 year cancer-versary, as I’ve been very fond of calling it, is a celebration of the community of people, who were with me along the journey. I am so incredibly grateful to my GP’s, Oncologist’s, Redkite career counsellor’s and support teams, my friends, my family, who helped me navigate the most challenging of time. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”

“I can attest to how beneficial the support Redkite provides is, to a young person with cancer and their family. Redkite allows them to rediscover the courage , strength and tenacity they already have inside. Redkite allows them to renew their sense of spirit and their sense of themselves in their new lives and more than anything, allows them to recover from the whole scope of challenges that cancer brings.”

Redkite is honored to have Adry come on board as a 2023 Redkite Family Ambassador.