Ovarian Cancer Survivor Reduces Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to Tears

Ovarian cancer survivor Anne-Maree Mulders' and her husband Christian, with Bill Shorten (left) and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (right) during the Teal Ribbon Day breakfast at Parliament House in Canberra. Source: AAP

There wasn’t a dry eye in Parliament House this morning when one Women’s Health staffer shared a moving account of her battle with ovarian cancer, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

At an event to mark Teal Ribbon Day in Canberra, Mr Turnbull told attendees he was touched by Anne-Maree Mulders’ speech.

“The courage in which you have battled this disease and the courage in which you told your story here is quite unforgettable,” he said.

“Every single person here has been moved by it.”

Mulders' moving speech reduced the Prime Minister to tears. Source: AAP

Mrs Mulders shared her personal journey of fighting ovarian cancer and how it affected her life and family.

“18 months ago a new thing barged unexpected and uninvited into my life,” she said.

“I went from being a relatively fit and healthy working mum, to being a bald, weak, exhausted patient.”

Nearly 1500 Australian women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year, but Mr Turnbull added, “statistics tell us but one side of the story”.

“They don’t describe the impact such a diagnosis has on each woman, their family, their friends and their subsequent journey after hearing the news sent out,” he said.

Dubbed the silent killer for its often unremarkable symptoms, ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths in Australian women.

“They say it’s rare but the mortality numbers aren’t rare,” Mrs Mulders said.

“At the moment ovarian cancer survival rates are just so far out of the ball park. 57 per cent of us dead within five years – is not good enough.”

Pinwheels on the Parliament House lawn mark the number of Australian women diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year. Source: Supplied

Click for more facts about ovarian cancer

For more information on ovarian cancer research visit:

Awareness and research: Ovarian Cancer Australia

Research into a cure: Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation

Research into early detection: Garvan Institute