Nova 100's Kate Langbroek has revealed that her son Lewis had successfully finished treatment for leukaemia in one of the most heart-wrenching and raw segments on radio. Kate is one half of the succesful Hughesy and Kate breakfast program.
Wednesday was the day Kate's son, Lewis, turned 10 years old. It was one of the happiest days of Kate's life. She explained why live on-air on Friday.
“He was diagnosed with a form of leukaemia called T-cell ALL and it is mercifully very rare and it is mercifully quite curable, but it is none the less the most, as you would know Hughesy as you took every step of the journey with us, and all the people that I work with at Nova and all our extended friends. It has never been a secret that Lewis has been sick and our family has embarked on this exploration of a world that is full of dread and fear and sometimes beautiful outcomes and sometimes just the worst thing you could image.
"I have never shared this with listeners before for a number of reasons. One, it wasn't really my story to tell. The other is that sometimes we were up to our eyeballs in terror and we could only just keep our noses above and just try to suck in some air to keep going.
"I cannot thank you enough Hughesy, so beautiful you are. If I was ever going into battle, my god, I would like to have you in the trenches with me.
"And my beautiful husband who as I said can't talk about this but is very happy to have it to be talked about and very happy to share a happy outcome.
"And for people that wondered about my unexplained absences who may have heard the show in some very dark periods where obviously I couldn't be here and we didn't know what to say on air about where I was. Some mornings you just said I wasn't here."
Kate also explained why she shared her story.
“You and I (Hughesy) had discussed many times about whether or not to share this on air, because we share every part of ourselves - really too much some people may think. It is such an exchange of information and humour and life with our listeners - it feels right to just to tell a story that, as you say, has a happy ending.
"And you know what? It is better out than in, and there are so many people who have their lives affected by cancer, it is just everywhere. It is just a rotten thing and it's everywhere.”
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You can donate money to cancer research via the Centenary Institute or for programs to support children with cancer via CanTeen.
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