Brisbane Lions member Jo Carey has endured a tough couple of years, but was afforded the opportunity of a lifetime last Friday night courtesy of the Club’s Official Health Partner, Bupa.

As the lucky winner of Bupa’s Find a Healthier You coin toss competition, Jo not only got the chance to toss the coin prior to the Round 10 Gabba blockbuster against Collingwood, but was also given an exclusive tour of the Lions’ football department on the day prior to the match.

It proved an unforgettable highlight for someone whose life had been turned upside down just two years earlier.

“I did enjoy the experience very much. I still haven't wiped the smile off my face – it was a couple of days I will never forget,” Jo Carey said after the event.

“It was an absolute pleasure as well as a once in a lifetime opportunity and memory.”

In May of 2011, Jo was diagnosed with an incredibly rare form of Anal Cancer that only affects around 20 Australians.  

The first specialist she consulted failed to detect the problem, so she sought a second opinion with a surgeon who discovered the real reason behind her feeling “not quite right”.

Had Jo not pursued the complaint, there is every chance that she wouldn’t be telling us her story today.

“People need to trust their own body when something is not quite right, and get a second opinion,” Jo said.

She has since undergone aggressive radio and chemo treatments, major surgery, trial treatments done over in the US, and even radiation therapy – but is still yet to find one that ‘works’.

Jo was also booked in to undergo further surgery today, mainly to ensure that she had recovered and could be sitting up again in time for the Lions’ Round 13 match against Geelong at the Gabba.  

Upon hearing the news from Bupa that she had won their Find a Healthier You competition, Jo said that it had “made her year”.

“Bupa have been a major support to me through my two-year battle with Cancer, and have taken away the financial worry of the best care from Hospitals, Doctors, Surgeons, and Lymphodema Physiotherapists,” Jo said.

“I cannot thank them enough”.

The Brisbane Lions’ thoughts and wishes are currently with Jo as she undergoes her latest surgery, and we look forward to welcoming her back to the Gabba in the near future.