Amber Sims was 31 when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year after a self-administered test, and now, she’s now sharing her story of the support that has carried her through. Alongside her family and closest friends, a Cancer Society nurse became a vital source of reassurance, guidance and care.
Before cancer, Amber Sims was living a life full of plans – teaching music, riding thoroughbreds with her mum and sister, and pouring creativity into everything from work to sewing race-day outfits. But when ongoing abdominal pain and fatigue left her feeling that something wasn’t right, she pushed for answers.
In mid-2025 she went to the doctor for blood tests and, while she was there, also did the new cervical screening self-test.
A few days later, the clinic called with an urgent referral to a gynaecologist. Biopsies followed. Then came the diagnosis: stage 3C1 cervical cancer.
“I’m quite an independent person,” the Auckland woman says. “Until I knew what it was and what I was dealing with, I didn’t want to upset anyone.”
She attended those early appointments alone, waiting until she understood the diagnosis and treatment plan before telling the people closest to her. But once the full picture became clear, so did the seriousness of what lay ahead.
Treatment was relentless: 11 weeks of chemotherapy, 25 rounds of radiation and four of brachytherapy, all through Christmas and New Year. Amber handled much of the early news on her own. But cancer has a way of making even the strongest people need someone to help shoulder the weight of it all.
Her mum and sister became her core support system, along with her best friend Gabby Cashmore, who understood that supporting someone through cancer is about helping them stay connected to who they are.
“I think cancer is something that has happened to someone – it’s not their whole identity,” Gabby says. “There’s so much more to the people who have been affected by cancer than just the cancer.”
Some days, that meant talking honestly about fear, side effects and treatment. Other days, it meant talking about work, plans or gossip – anything that helped Amber feel like herself.
Another important part of Amber’s support came from Tracey White, her Cancer Society nurse. She became a steady presence – calling every Wednesday, usually the day after chemo, checking in, asking one question then another, and listening carefully. “Every time Tracey rang, I was like, ‘I’m fine,’” Amber says. “But she would keep asking questions and just get little bits out of you. It really helped to take that sort of weight off your shoulders. You didn’t realise you were holding those sort of feelings inside and then once you started talking to someone, it really made you relax a lot more.”
For Tracey, that’s exactly the point of the role.
“I am in the background if they need anything,” she says. “It provides them with another layer of support.”
Tracey, Amber and Gabby
That support can mean answering questions, helping someone with practical assistance, checking on mental wellbeing, or being a calm, knowledgeable voice when things feels overwhelming.
Gabby saw first-hand how important that was. “There are days that Tracey probably got Amber through that we couldn’t kind of get her through,” she says. “If the Cancer Society can fill that kind of gap for people and help them get through, then that’s irreplaceable.”
Now that treatment has finished, Amber says life feels “back to normal but not normal”. She’s looking ahead to check-ups, healing, and hearing the words “cancer free”, while also using her experience to encourage others to trust their instincts.
“You know your body,” she says. “If something doesn’t feel right, keep pushing for answers.”
Amber says her goal for the future is now “nice and simple”.
“A lot of friends have goals of careers, marriage, kids, all of that. And I used to think I had my life in order and things would go like that, but now I think you never know what tomorrow brings so my goal for future me now is just to be healthy and be cancer-free.”
Amber wants people to understand what the Cancer Society makes possible. Before her diagnosis, she had no idea how much support was available. Now she has seen how check-ins, guidance and compassion can make a frightening experience feel less lonely.
“Please do support the Cancer Society,” she says. “They really do make a huge difference.”
When 1 in 3 New Zealanders will be diagnosed with cancer, support like this matters. Together, we can be there for the 1 in 3 like Amber.
Donate today at: www.daffodilday.org.nz
