'You’re already grieving for that person, long before they pass away,' says Lauren.

Lauren is passionate about raising much needed awareness for bowel cancer and again is fundraising for Bowel Cancer Australia this Dry July in honour of her late father.

In this emotionally raw discussion with Stephanie, Lauren shares her harrowing five years, first losing her mother after a long-term illness, to nursing her father diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer and subsequently losing him to the disease in June 2022, leaving her without any immediate family.

An only child, Lauren’s warmth and kindness shine through as she talks about grieving well before her parents had passed and the coping mechanisms she has developed to ensure she looks after herself.

'Kindness is key. It is so very important to tread gently and be kind to yourself.'