Community
13 June, 2026
Personal experience guides rare cancer stalwart
There’s a cruel irony in the story of Bowral resident Kate Vines.
There’s a cruel irony in the story of Bowral resident Kate Vines.
Kate and husband Richard established Rare Cancers Australia after Kate was diagnosed with a rare cancer.
That was 35 years ago.
Since then they have helped thousands of people navigate their own cancer journeys as Kate continues to battle metastatic Medullary Thyroid Cancer
Mrs Vines said she was advised by email three months ago that she would be named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on The Kings Birthday 2026 Honours List.
“It has been a long time to keep a secret.”
Mrs Vines said the award was an honour.
While she has been forced to pull back from the organisation due to her health problems, she is still actively involved as a director.
She is extremely proud of the Bowral-based organisation, which now has 40 staff across the country.
It is helping more than 2000 new patients every year and is helping to raise greater awareness of rare cancers and the fact that “everyone’s cancer is unique”.
“We hear a great deal about the more common cancers such as breast, prostate and lung but very little about the rarer cancers,” Mrs Vines said this week.
“By our estimates, over one third of all cancer deaths are a result of rare cancers.
“Sadly, our health system is still focused on more common cancers and as a consequence rare cancer patients struggle for equitable care.”
Mrs Vines said her work with Rare Cancers Australia had been guided by her own experiences including isolation, lack of support in finding appropriate treatment pathways and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.
She said it had given her a sense of empathy for what many of their patients were going through.
She said the many patients they have assisted had also taught her how strength, resilience and determination can define patients and family members through one of the toughest periods of their life.
“They are the true heroes,” she told The Southern Wire.
Mrs Vine said cancer could be isolating for patients as well as their families.
“The work we do breaks down that isolation and our patients know we are there for them and they are not alone.
“It is a really significant outcome of our work.”
Mrs Vines said rare cancers often impacted young mums and dads.
“Some years ago I worked with a young mum who had a three-year-old daughter when she was diagnosed with a rare lung cancer.
“Her ambition was to live long enough to walk her child to school,” Mrs Vines said.
“To help her we fundraised for her treatment, found clinical trials that she could be part of and helped her through the various phases of treatment.
“Today her daughter is in high school and our patient can still walk her to school when she wants,” Mrs Vines said.
“Australia will be a better place because that child grew up knowing her mum as a person - not a memory - and that is what we hope to do for every patient we see.”
Mrs Vines said she was in good company on The King’s Birthday 2026 Honours list.
“In today's world we can easily be overwhelmed by negativity and hate.
“The awards let us showcase the best and most inspiring Australians and their work,” Mrs Vines said.
“You can't read the list of recipients without feeling proud to a part of the Australian community and we need that right now more than ever.”
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