Two Brisbane sisters who have been touched by breast cancer will be amongst the 23,000 Queenslanders taking part in this year’s Mater Chicks in Pink International Women’s Day Fun Run, presented by Queensland X-Ray, on Sunday 9 March.
Sharon Kippen was 47 years old in 2023 when doctors delivered the “shocking news” she had breast cancer.
A mother of two teenage boys, Mrs Kippen said the hardest part of her cancer journey was having to share the news with her eldest son when he in final exams of school.
Initially, Mrs Kippen planned to keep her diagnosis a secret from her children, however her husband, Brad, encouraged her to be honest so they could get through it together as a family.
“The pressure of those exams weighed heavily on him already and the thought of adding my diagnosis into the mix seemed unbearable. I didn’t want to be the reason he lost focus,” Mrs Kippen said.
“My husband was the rock that grounded us all.
“When we told the boys, my eldest son said ‘this is tough, but we’re a family and we’re going to get through this together. We need to stay strong for mum and show her we never give up.’
“When my son’s ATAR results came through, I was so proud. He had stayed strong for both his sake and mine.”
Being open about her diagnosis became a powerful lesson for the Kippen family and served as a reminder to stay vigilant about their health and to not take anything for granted.
Mrs Kippen underwent a lumpectomy at South Brisbane’s Mater Hospital Brisbane followed by chemotherapy at the Mater Cancer Care Centre. Throughout treatment, she was surrounded by a supportive “village” of family and friends, with a different friend taking her to chemotherapy each week.
“When the hard days came, when I was unwell and couldn’t get out of bed, they were there, encouraging me and comforting me - those 15 incredible friends will always be in my heart,” Mrs Kippen said.
Among those villagers was her sister, Mater Research Mother and Baby Lead Clinical Trial Coordinator Stephanie Guilas, who was by her sister’s side for everything.
“I was on holiday on the other side of the world when we got the news, but from afar, I helped with setting up her initial appointments with the breast surgeon and oncologist at Mater,” Ms Guilas said.
“I’ve worked at Mater for more than 20 years and knew she would be well looked after by the amazing team here.”
The sisters are looking forward to taking part in the Fun Run event for the second year in a row and will be part of a team of 12 friends adn family members.
The team’s fundraising goal for this year builds on the $4,000 that Mrs Kippen raised for Mater Chicks in Pink for her birthday in 2024.
The 2025 Mater International Women’s Day Fun Run sold out in just three weeks, however volunteers are invited to register to take part in this iconic community event. Sign up as a volunteer here.
