This year, I am honoured to support the Mark Hughes Foundation (MHF) by participating in City to Surf 2025. I have always been a supporter, buying beanies during the Beanies for Brain Cancer rugby league rounds, never imagining how personally meaningful this cause would become.
In November 2024, my younger sister Lesley received a diagnosis of Grade 4 Glioblastoma. Following her initial surgery, the prognosis was devastating—just 12 to 18 months to live. Our family’s world was instantly upended. At 53 and having just become a grandmother for the first time through her only daughter Carlie and her wife Lou, Lesley felt her life was finally whole with the arrival of little Tilly.
Lesley and I are two of five sisters, affectionately known as the “Ryan girls.” Together with our wonderful mum Denise, we made a pact to create as many cherished memories as possible. We’ve made the most of our time: climbing the Harbour Bridge with Lesley’s partner Nathan, enjoying family weekends away, enjoying sister trips with pampering, and even plotting tattoos—always seeking new adventures.
The outpouring of love and encouragement Lesley has received has been extraordinary—not just from family and friends, but strangers too. The Mark Hughes Foundation was the first to extend support after her surgery, sending a care package that meant so much. Lesley has always been dedicated to the foundation, collecting every beanie since the campaign began, especially after previously losing a friend to the same terrible disease.
By joining the City to Surf this year, and with the generous donations from our community, I hope to raise some of the vital funds needed for research that could one day bring a cure for brain cancer.
Lesley’s resilience and strength continually inspire us all. Supported by an excellent medical team and a loving network, she faces the daily challenges of this disease with courage. We are determined to stand by her, and we will not give up this fight.
