Paihia resident Ruby Smith, now aged 34, is pushing for better ovarian cancer treatment after having to fork out $30,000 for immunotherapy. Photo / Denise Piper
Paihia resident Ruby Smith, now aged 34, is pushing for better ovarian cancer treatment after having to fork out $30,000 for immunotherapy. Photo / Denise Piper
Just weeks after giving birth to her third child, she was diagnosed with stage 3 mucinous ovarian cancer, which has a five-year survival rate of just 25%.
But the Paihia resident is not only fighting her cancer, she is also working hard to raise awareness and funds for Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand.
Smith first became aware of problems in early pregnancy, in late 2022, when a routine 12-week ultrasound picked up a cyst.
Her 20-week scan showed the cyst had grown but her obstetrician reassured her cysts were common and, given her age, it was unlikely to be anything suspicious.
Smith said she was referred for regular scans to keep an eye on the cyst but, on Waitangi weekend in 2023, she was in such severe pain she had to be hospitalised.
While scans showed the cyst was growing, doctors did not want to do anything because her baby was just 29 weeks.
Smith managed to hang on for another nine weeks before she was induced, going through a quick delivery of what is now a perfectly healthy baby.
But in the weeks that followed, she was frustrated with the lack of progress in removing the cyst, which was by then suspected to be cancer.
Smith was told to have a colonoscopy and gastroscopy six weeks after giving birth, but when she arrived at the hospital for the procedures she was so unwell it became apparent the cyst had burst, causing blood poisoning.
She had surgery to remove the mass, her left ovary and her omentum - a protection which lines the stomach - with tests confirming mucinous ovarian cancer which had spread.
Only weeks after the birth of her third child, Ruby Smith was diagnosed with stage 3 mucinous ovarian cancer.
“It was just bad luck and super-bad timing,” she said.
Smith then had to undergo another surgery, including a hysterectomy, quickly followed by chemotherapy. Meanwhile, she and her husband had to juggle a busy home life, with their three kids now aged 1, 11 and 13.
The final part of Smith’s treatment - immunotherapy drug bevacizumab, or Avastin - is not funded for ovarian cancer. While she had health insurance, it did not cover the full cost, and she had to pay $30,000 for the treatment.
Smith said she does not want other women with cancer to be faced with such dire choices.
“I wish that health didn’t have to have a dollar sign attached to it.
“With Avastin, if we had no money to pay for it, would I have just died? What would be the option?”
Pushing for better outcomes for ovarian cancer patients
Smith said the chemotherapy, immunotherapy and sudden menopause caused by her hysterectomy has taken a toll on her body, causing fatigue, aches, hot flushes and brain fog.
But rather than dwell on her difficulties, she decided to push for improved ovarian cancer treatment, raising awareness and funds for the Ovarian Cancer Foundation NZ by training for a half marathon.
“Funding for research is so important - we need better treatments, and we need them to be accessible. No woman should have to go through what I have.”
Information and support from the Ovarian Cancer Foundation has helped her and Smith felt the newly formed organisation needed support.
Running is hard on her body, she admitted, but it provides a good mental break.
Smith plans to compete in the Kerikeri Half Marathon on November 16, and is raising awareness and funds during September, which is Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month. Go to tinyurl.com/ruby-run to support her fundraiser.
Ovarian Cancer Foundation NZ general manager Whitney Gernhoefer says Ruby Smith's willingness to use her own experience to help other women is inspiring.
The Ovarian Cancer Foundation, which relies entirely on donations and fundraising, is grateful for supporters like Smith, said general manager Whitney Gernhoefer.
“Ruby’s strength and determination are truly inspiring. Her willingness to use her experience to help other women, despite everything she has been through, is incredible.”
Gernhoefer said every dollar raised brings the foundation closer to advancing treatments and helps support more patients.
A New Zealand woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer every 29 hours and, as the country’s least-survival women’s cancer, it kills more women than all other gynaecological cancers combined.
Smith’s own prognosis is looking good so far, although she continues to have immunotherapy treatment.
That’s good news because she still has plenty of plans: “I really want to see my daughter get married and see my little baby grow up - there’s so many things I haven’t done yet.”
As well as completing the half-marathon, Smith encouraged women to trust their instincts and advocate for their health.
“To anyone experiencing symptoms of ovarian cancer or for anyone worried about their health: please, trust your gut. If something feels wrong, keep asking questions until you get the right answers.
“I wish I had pushed harder or gotten a second opinion sooner – maybe then my story would be a bit different.”
Indigestion, abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge, unexplained weight changes and painful sex are also possible symptoms, and most people with ovarian cancer only experience one or two symptoms at first.
The foundation encourages anyone with symptoms lasting four or more weeks, even if mild, to tell their GP.
“Most of the time the symptoms won’t be ovarian cancer, but it is really important to get them checked just in case. Ovarian cancer is easier to treat when it is diagnosed quickly.”
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
