Terri and I were going through the photos from our Otis stay, laughing and smiling as we reminisced about our time away. These memories will remain in my heart forever, and I am sure that Terri has taken that joy with her on her new adventure!
Hi, my name is Jim. I am 61 years old. I am a father to three children and a stepfather to three stepdaughters.
My experience with Breast Cancer began when I was 5 years old when my beautiful mother passed away at the age of 35. I always wondered how it felt for my Dad to have seen his young wife and love of his life pass away so young.
Sadly, there is more to my story.
Terri
In 2010, my beloved partner, Terri, was first diagnosed with breast cancer. To say that this was a very challenging time for me personally, would be an understatement. Of course, my personal challenges were nowhere near those facing my beautiful, fiery, redhead lady. Nevertheless, she met it head-on, with me in the background and supporting her the best I could. Terri had three girls, my stepdaughters, and I also did my best to support them.
In mid-2015 Terri was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer and during her last two years any major travel plans were thwarted by her Cancer and there was simply no respite for Terri, or myself.
Enter The Otis Foundation!
One day when visiting the Breast Clinic, I was reading through the brochures in the waiting room and saw a brochure about The Otis Foundation. I made contact with Otis, they came to the rescue, and gave Terri and I the most wonderful stay at a magnificent cabin in Towong in the Upper Murray Valley Victoria.
We drove there in October 2016, it had been raining heavily for days and the Murray River was in flood. We walked into the retreat and before us was the most magnificent view of the flooded river valley. Then, like something out of a movie, the sun came out, and the most amazing rainbow I have ever seen appeared over the valley, with the dark clouds behind it. Terri and I simply gasped! What a welcome it was!
Once we had taken a few pics, we pulled up a chair on the balcony, sat there looking over a flooded Murray River below with storm clouds over the mountains, and relaxed.
We had a very relaxing time during our stay, we went on drives each day and did as much as Terri could do. We visited a waterfall called Bluff Falls, and it was full of cascading water. Finally, after years of visiting waterfalls only to see them with a trickle of water and the locals tell us “Yeah but you should see it in flood season”, we found one that was thundering down!
We went driving around all the local towns, we drove up to Thredbo and saw the last of the snow; We weren’t wanting to come back!
Our Otis stay was a highlight for Terri in her last two years of life; she had the most wonderful time and it was fantastic to simply be together as a couple - all thanks to The Otis Foundation. She talked about this wonderful gift to the very end, and we will always be appreciative of the gift we were given.
Reflection
I sit here now, reflecting on the times we had together. I also reflect on the challenges for myself and my stepdaughters that came after her passing. Yet I can honestly say that now it has been a few years, I mainly think of the good things that happened in amongst it all. The funny situations that happened, Terri’s warped sense of humour, the laughs we had, the wonderful medical people we met, and of course, the miracle gift of a week’s retreat in the most beautiful country in the world.
What our retreat meant to us is almost impossible to explain but I will always be extremely humbled and grateful to The Otis Foundation, and of course, to everybody who has offered up their property or donated money to the cause.
- Jim
I would like to donate an Otis stay instead of gifting socks this Fathers' Day
