Eighteen-year-old Broadbeach Waters student Robert Barber was preparing for his final Year 12 exams when everyday fatigue escalated into something far more serious.
After struggling to complete a lap of his school oval and later feeling dizzy in the surf, Robert discovered his haemoglobin had dropped to dangerous levels. Days later, he was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL), a rare and aggressive blood cancer.
The diagnosis forced him to abandon exams and begin urgent treatment at Gold Coast University Hospital, just as he had been planning post-school travels and time with friends.
“I just thought I was low on iron,” Robert said. “Then everything changed really fast.”
Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Nurse Consultant Bec Todd said the disease accounts for about 14 per cent of blood cancers in young people and requires intensive treatment, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Robert has since started a business degree in hospital between treatments, supported by family, friends and a fundraising effort that raised about $20,000 for cancer research.
His friends also shaved their heads in solidarity, while he awaits a Starlight Foundation wish.
Despite ongoing treatment, Robert remains focused on recovery. “It feels like the end of the world at first,” he said, “but it’s not.”
Image source: goldcoast.health.qld.gov.au