A RIVERLAND mother has demonstrated remarkable resilience and positivity while on the brink of homelessness, all while bravely battling an aggressive cancer that has altered her life forever.
Donna* and her young child now happily live in a safe, stable home following a turbulent 12-month period that included a brush with homelessness after fleeing family violence, as well as months of agonising treatment that altered Donna’s physical capabilities.
Donna’s story is being shared as part of National Homelessness Week (August 4-10, 2025) to highlight the often complex and compounding challenges that people are navigating when they seek support from country agency ac.care.
The future is full of optimism for Donna thanks to her positive mindset and determination, but it has been a long journey that took a distressing turn around Christmas 2023 when, while living with a relative, she experienced family violence and had to flee to keep herself and her child safe.
This shattering incident came just as Donna prepared to travel to Adelaide for cancer treatment after receiving a shock cancer diagnosis several months earlier.
After returning to the Riverland, Donna contacted ac.care’s Berri Community Centre where the Riverland homelessness service team quickly worked to find a safe housing option while she and her child stayed with another family member.
“Finding a safe home not only helped me, but it also helped my baby as well as you do not want to raise your child in a violent home,” Donna said.
“That is how my childhood was, so it was really important to me to not have my child living the same lifestyle that I did growing up.”
While securing a safe place to live was a priority, Donna also recalls the small gestures of support from ac.care Riverland homelessness service case manager Shane that provided comfort during this difficult time.
“Shane helped me out with the gas bottle and some money to get to and from Adelaide for my appointments,” Donna said.
“He also helped me with some food, as well as anything that I needed doing.”
Homelessness expressed in the photos and words of Riverland people as part of a 2023 National Homelessness Week initiative
However, just as stability began to return, Donna was rushed to Adelaide where she received the devastating news the cancer had shifted to her spine.
Donna underwent multiple significant surgeries to remove cancer from her body and had medical implants put in place to help retain her ability to walk.
Her recovery was prolonged after enduring a stroke during recovery, as well as experiencing radiation burns during treatment.
“I couldn’t see my daughter for 21 days after that and all up I spent around five months away from her throughout the year,” Donna said.
Additionally, Donna had to self-fund many costs related to her treatment, including accommodation, as she could not access supported housing due to radiation exposure, which posed a risk to immunocompromised people.
“I was meant to do it again around Christmas last year and I said to the doctors, I just can’t – I can’t fund it.”
While her health remains a priority, Donna took a major positive step forward last September when she moved into a new home with her daughter. This also marked the start of her relationship with ac.care Riverland homelessness service case manager Jacque, who has been guiding them through this new chapter while continuing to provide small but impactful support.
“It has been good to have someone that says ‘give it to me and I’ll take that burden and you worry about you in here and I’ll deal with that out there’.
“I don’t think a lot of people understand what pressure that takes off a person when they are at their most vulnerable.
“Jacque has been like a warm embrace and for someone who grew up in a rough life, it is something you can’t express.
“Sometimes you have to remind yourself, even through all those dark moments, that there are people out there who will go above and beyond to help you out.
“And look where I am now, I love my house, and me and my child are so settled – we are so happy.”
Donna encouraged others facing challenges to contact ac.care for support in regaining control of their situation.
“We can’t take away all the bad things that have happened, but it’s given me this whole other bunch of good stuff in life that you need when you’re at your lowest,” Donna said.
“That is one thing money can’t buy – security, freedom, a safe place.
“That is what I have been given thanks to ac.care, not just for me, but for my child too, and that is priceless.”
ac.care’s Riverland homelessness service is part of the Country South Homelessness Alliance, which is funded by the South Australian Department of Human Services.
If you or someone you know needs support, visit www.accare.org.au, call 8580 5300 or visit the ac.care Berri Community Centre at 5 Kealley Street, Berri.
*Name changed for privacy reasons
