Virginia Hill raises awareness around breast cancer after being diagnosed with the disease

Ms Hill first noticed a lump on her breast and called her best friend Sharlene Wright, who suggested they go to Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service to get it checked.

She is now starting chemotherapy treatment after having the lump removed.

To raise the profile around the disease, the pair teamed up to have an awareness day on Monday, June 6 where other members of the community came and participated in a head shave and cut as a show of support.

"I want to let families and friends that are going through all of this, that you don't have to do it on your own, you can do it together," Ms Hill said.

"We're trying to be a strong Aboriginal community and we want to support the families going through it."

Ms Hill said she was disappointed by the lack of information surrounding cancer in the Indigenous community.

"I'm just young and doing it myself and I didn't know nothing, I didn't know anything and the only thing I had was information from my friend who had already been through it," she said.

"That's not good enough."

Ms Hill said there needed to be more support in country towns, especially around how to tell family members you are unwell.

"Trying to explain to my kids that I had cancer was hard, I didn't know how to do it, but I did it the best way I could," she said.

"The younger generation needs to understand it."

Ms Wright, went through a similar situation with her own mother and brother, who both died from stomach cancer.

"No-one talks about breast cancer, no-one talks about cancer. The big C is a scary word to the Indigenous community and they don't like to say the C word," she said.

"If a local Aboriginal woman can speak out we can only get stronger and that's what we need in the community.

"It's sad we are doing it now, why wasn't it done years ago?"

Ms Hill would like to see more information out there for young people.

"They need to know what it is because it's hard and heart-breaking to try and explain it to them, and thinking you have to do it alone is hard," she said.

"The amount of people I've spoken to since I've been diagnosed was unbelievable and when I ask if they got help, they tell me they did it on their own, and it shouldn't be that way."

When Ms Hill was diagnosed she only spoke to close family and friends because she was "confused" and "frightened" not knowing what was going on with herself.

"I didn't know what to expect going through chemo, but my sister Marsha has been a big support and helped me a lot," she said.

Ms Hill wants other women to check their own breasts for lumps and go to a doctor if they find something abnormal.

"Get it out, don't let it grow, if you find something go to a doctor and don't be ashamed, a lot of Indigenous women feel shame," she said.

READ MORE:

"That's why these events raising awareness are important, we want to show we're here and we're going to help, you don't have to do it alone, I call Sharlene at 7am or late at night and she'll let me talk about whatever I need."

With a strong immediate and extended family, Ms Hill has never felt alone on her journey and doesn't want others to feel alone either.

"Come forward and talk to us, we're going to set up a Facebook page to create a safe community for people to talk and support each other," she said.

"It will also help men too, my partner doesn't understand any of it and my son doesn't talk much, but they need help and support too."

Ms Hill said there were days when she was good and other days where she will cry and be upset.

"Those days I just need someone to talk to and when you have to isolate it's hard, but having someone there to just listen is so important," she said.

"We just want to help so people don't have to go through it alone, we need to change that stigma now."

Ms Hill's sister Marsha has been one of her biggest supporters, and has held her hand through all the ups and downs.

"I think it's a great initiative, it's only just the start of it so hopefully we can raise more awareness in the community," she said.

"We can't fault the support already received, and hope that this can show what families go through and let them know the process as well."

Samuel Hill, Virginia's son, also shaved his head as a show of support for his mother.

"Hopefully this can teach younger boys how to deal with it and seeing my mum go through it, I know how she is feeling and know there are people that are there to support us," he said.

"I think I will be able to understand how people feel if they get sick, especially in the Aboriginal community."

Breast Care nurse Vanessa Hyland showed her support for the awareness day, speaking with many members of the community.

"We support any women diagnosed with breast cancer and their family, friends and whoever else needs support," she said.

"It can just be turning on the phone, helping with appointments and providing additional support to help you through the medical system as it can be a bit daunting."

Ms Hyland said her big message to all women was to go and have your breast screenings done.

"Be aware of what your breasts are like and if you notice a difference go and see a doctor, because if you find it early there's a big chance it could save your life," she said.

Executive manager operations of WACHS, Jay Forrester, said they would be partnering with the community group to have promotion and support for women with breast cancer in Wellington.

"We find it vital the health initiative that the community wants and to put a mechanism there that we can support them and it can actually occur," she said.

"It's unfortunate that there is quite a lot of women in Wellington at the moment that do have breast cancer so the community can come together to work as one rather then as silos."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: