Jarmilla makes a difference

When Karratha woman Jarmilla Pavlich was diagnosed with breast cancer about three years ago, she said she treated it like a business transaction.

Taking a no-tears approach, Mrs Pavlich said she wanted to get in and get it sorted.

With three contaminated lymph nodes and an aggressive form of the cancer which was not picked up on mammograms, Mrs Pavlich was in for a tough ride.

"I was very lucky it all went according to plan as such," she said.

"It is painful … you always get that fear (during radiotherapy) when you have a blood test the day before and hope everything is in order so you can have it (the treatment)."

When her hair started to fall out, Mrs Pavlich said the pain felt like all these little pins pricking into her head.

Almost a year after her diagnosis, Mrs Pavlich finished the radiotherapy.

Having seen the effects firsthand how donations to breast cancer research have helped increase the survival rate and prognosis of sufferers, Mrs Pavlich got involved with the committee that puts together Karratha's Mother's Day Classic fun run last year a few months after arriving in town.

Mrs Pavlich said she really felt for the women in the North West who had to travel all the way to Perth for cancer treatment.

Last year, about $35,000 was raised through the event, and although she did not get to run, Mrs Pavlich was swamped with on-the-day registrations.

This year, she will speak about her story at the event on May 10.

Mrs Pavlich's workplace, Ray White Karratha, is also aiming to raise $7000 a target, which, if reached, will result in managing director Richard Naulls dying his hair pink.

To register for Karratha's Mother's Day Classic, visit the website at [www.mothersdayclassic.com.au|www.mothersdayclassic.com.au] and search for Karratha in the "our events", "regional event locations", "Western Australia" link.