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A mother first diagnosed with colon cancer at age 33 lost her battle against the insidious disease and wrote one last, tragic message for those who followed her journey.
Nicole Cooper, from Melbourne, left her latest farewell on her Instagram page, saying that when it comes to ‘ending’ her life, cancer was not what she wanted to ‘send’.
Instead, she wanted to spend her last moments focusing on the people she loved the most, sharing her bed with her husband and son as they showered her with hugs and kisses.
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Melbourne’s Nicole Cooper pictured with her husband and son, has died nearly five years after she was diagnosed with stage four cancer and given months to live.
“Cancer is not what ‘envelops’ this family,” he said.
“Because really, what matters is what we’ve built together for each of us: the shared respect, the joy, the insightful and compelling commitment, and the unwavering authenticity of the true practicalities of being alive.”
“It’s the fragility of it, the unparalleled everything, the readiness to take all the risks for this group, to truly declare that living at my most scared, vulnerable, weakest, most wonderful was worth it.”
‘Because I have to do it with all of you. That is the purpose of things. That’s what I’m done with.
Her final post was emotionally charged and full of love for her family, shown here in their final days.
Nicole was rushed to hospital on Boxing Day when she couldn’t breathe, after a nice and quiet Christmas with her family.
Nicole was diagnosed with stage four cancer shortly after the birth of her son and battled the disease for nearly five years, even going into remission for a while.
He spent his final years talking about cancer, its treatments, and the reality of life with a terminal diagnosis.
The mom posted photos over Christmas, sending love and strength to her followers, before things took a dramatic turn.
On Boxing Day, he posted a photo of his bed in ICU, where he was admitted with pneumonia.
‘Stage 4 cancer can be a low-key Christmas with the family one day, and a rapid decline in scary medical land the next. Each and every person is different and deserves to be recognized for their unique life and medical circumstances,” she said.
I will go into details later. I couldn’t breathe and now I can. I feel improving and I plan to continue like this,” she added.
On Jan. 4, he posted a photo of his ‘oxygen friend’ in a tank and reflected on a week of madness in ICU and terror-inducing moments.
“But one of the benefits of a week of total disorientation is the option to take a conscious step in any direction and essentially move towards some version of breakthrough,” he said.
Nicole was open about her battle with cancer and is credited with inspiring hundreds of people through her treatment.
That determination to do better led her followers to praise her for her resilience and optimism.
But unfortunately things took a turn for the worse and six days later she was writing her latest post and spending time with her family who crowded into her room to say goodbye.
His death left his community devastated.
‘I’m not sure I’ll ever find the words. Or knowing how to put into my words exactly how much of a loss this is to all of us. But I know that as great as this loss is, we gained so much by knowing Nicole and by all that she shared so intimately with us. A bunch of strangers,” wrote one man.
“She was the first person I met when cancer became a part of my life. I was and still am inspired by it. Because of her class, her strength, her knowledge, and her love for a good Marg. Rest easy Nicole. You are and always will be an icon,” she continued.
She stayed positive and tried to live her life to the fullest despite everything going on in the background.
AFL Wag Bec Judd also had some kind words to share: ‘Oh Nic, the most courageous and inspiring person I know. I’ve got your back and I will love your family dearly, forever, as I love you.’
I’m so glad I met you. Your strength is like no other. Rest in peace knowing that you have had a positive influence in the lives of everyone who knew you,” wrote another woman influenced by Nicole.
Other patients were shocked by his passing: ‘Oh, I am so heartbroken to hear this, as he lay in a bed in the same hospital, with the same diagnosis. Nicole was a great supporter of all of us, even when she was going through a difficult time. One of my first online cancer friends whom I was so grateful to meet in person. She could never repay all the advice and support she gave me.’
Nicole previously spoke to FEMAIL about how exercise had helped her ‘beat’ cancer and go into remission months after her initial diagnosis.
He claimed that a big reason she was still alive was because of the exercise regimen she followed while undergoing the treatment.
Tributes flooded in on the ‘brave and inspiring’ mother after her latest post on Tuesday
“To be told you have terminal cancer when you also have an eight-month-old baby is one of the most heartbreaking experiences a person could have,” she said.
Undergoing rounds of treatments and surgeries for bowel, lung and liver cancer, Nicole hit the gym after specialists advised her to exercise.
“All of a sudden, I had a choice that would allow me to potentially be there for my husband and be there for my baby,” she said.
“A year later, I’m in remission, having done both exercise and chemotherapy.”
Australia’s leading cancer organizations now call for all cancer patients to be prescribed exercise.
For the first time in the world, the Australian Society for Clinical Oncology released its position statement on the essential role of exercise in cancer treatment.
Professor Prue Cormie of the Australian Catholic University said the link between cancer and exercise was based on “indisputable” evidence.
Nicole Cooper, from Melbourne, was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer in March 2017 shortly after giving birth to her baby boy (pictured together)
After her shock diagnosis, the then-33-year-old said she was prescribed two potentially life-saving cancer treatments: chemotherapy and exercise.
“We are really at a stage where the science tells us that denying cancer patients exercise can be harmful,” said Professor Cormie.
‘Exercise is the best medicine a person with cancer can take in addition to their standard cancer treatments.
‘We now know that people who exercise regularly experience fewer and less severe side effects of treatment; cancer-related fatigue, mental anguish, quality of life.’
Professor Cormie added that patients also have a lower risk of their cancer coming back or dying from the disease.
David Speakman, medical director of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, said that all cancer patients will benefit from an exercise prescription.