The community of Boggabri has rallied to support Laura Grabham and her family after the diagnosis of a genetic cancer turned their lives upside-down.
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More than $15,000 has been raised to support Ms Grabham's ongoing travel and medical costs as she works with specialists to treat a rare adrenaline-secreting tumour.
The 28-year-old mother of four said she was "blown away" by the community's financial support through GoFundMe and a fundraiser on the weekend.
"I never even imagined. I was amazed. We just didn't realise we had so many lovely people surrounding us," she said.
"I couldn't sleep that night because it was such a great day."
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Local Kathy Law and Ms Grabham's close friend Bek Muddle even shaved their heads at the event.
"I cried. I was in shock. I felt really loved," Ms Grabham said.
"It's just amazing to think that [they'd] want to do something like that for me.
"Getting your hair cut off is a huge thing and to get up in front of a huge crowd and raise money for me - it was just overwhelming."
The fundraiser was a shining light in otherwise dark circumstances as Ms Grabham undergoes chemotherapy to shrink the tumour, which was discovered in early 2018.
Chemotheraphy is a high-risk treatment for the Boggabri woman but was the next best option when, in March 2018, surgeons found the tumour was growing inside the valve of her heart and entangling the esophagus.
The tumour is genetic and Ms Grabham recalls her father's own battle with cancer when she was six years old.
"It took like a year to find out what was happening. My mum did research and put a lot of it together because the symptoms similar to my dad," she said.
"It's such a rare tumour I have they're only realising now it's genetic."
I couldn't sleep that night because it was such a great day.
- Laura Grabham
After the connection was made, Ms Grabham's own daughters were genetically tested and two of the four carry the gene.
The Boggabri woman said the pair will have to be tested every year from the age of 10 and have a 50 per cent chance of passing it on to their own children.
"I just take it a day at a time and hope for the best. I just have to be strong for the kids," she said.
Ms Grabham said her family has been an anchor in the storm.
"It's not just me going through it - it's my family too. My parents have been amazing. If it wasn't for them, I don't know where I'd be now," she said.
- To donate to the GoFundMe campaign for Laura Grabham, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/looking-out-for-laura
