My Story:

From healthy cyclist to terminal cancer patient with just days to live, then back to cycling 400kms per week, and pioneering a new patient-led era in cancer response.  To defeat cancer we must strive to understand it, that is how we will find the pathway to its prevention: My story https://steveholmes.net.au

Consider this shift in perception as you read:

Just as science has developed immunotherapy drugs to recruit our immune system to fight and defeat cancer, we too can harness and recruit the possibilities within the obstacle of Cholangiocarcinoma to overcome it. While a cancer diagnosis is beyond our control, how we respond and think is entirely within our power.

This is not just a saying, but a reminder that when the road seems impassable, there is always another way. When life delivers hardship, bitterness, and struggle, it is in your power to reject what doesn’t serve you. Often, the route that feels hardest, longest, or most uncertain may be the one that ultimately leads you to where you need to be.

It is only when we pause to objectively see the obstacle for what it truly is, rather than what we fear, that we begin to see its possibilities. This is when the magic happens: we mentally flip the obstacle, seizing those possibilities—the obstacle morphs into our challenge and our next opportunity. This is when we begin working with what we have, not against it.

This has been my lived experience, whether facing cancer or other unwelcome challenges. Many times, there is no obvious strategy, and all we have is hope to bridge that gap, along with the determination to lean into life in the absence of any proof or guarantee—yet this is a strategy little understood by those who judge from the sidelines.

Life, and our opportunity within it, is carved from the obstacles and the possibilities they contain. The real opportunity begins in how we perceive, harness, and act upon them—our vision.

The path to the realisation of such visions is almost always forged between the improbable and the impossible, which is why we must always own and follow our own vision.

Warm Regards
Steve
Ps if you are a Cholangiocarcinoma Patient or caregiver please connect with me or go directly to the following link:

•  www.cholangio.org

Join Me and contact Ben Kikuchi and add to the green glow

An Opportunity to Be Part of Something Special:

Uniting Patients, their families, and Communities, Spreading Awareness, sharing knowledge but most of all friendship.

As part of the Light Australia Green campaign, iconic landmarks like Coffs Harbour’s Big Banana will once again light up green for World Cholangiocarcinoma Day in 2025. This day presents a huge opportunity—not just to raise awareness, but to gather and personally meet each other, share stories, and enjoy healthy food that nourishes the bile of life. Under the glow of these green landmarks, patients, survivors, and supporters will come together as a united community.

Participants are encouraged to bring green chairs, picnic tables, and green foods to share, gathering in strength and solidarity. These meetings are more than symbolic—they are a powerful testament to the resilience of the cholangiocarcinoma community and an opportunity to connect, reflect, and support one another.

“We want to ensure that everyone knows about this disease and the advances we’re making in patient education and advocacy to enhance treatment options,” says Steve Holmes, CEO of Cholangiocarcinoma Australia (Cholangio). “Lighting Australia green is a powerful way to honor those we’ve lost, celebrate the survivors, and push for greater awareness. By coming together we are taking the initiative individually and together, this is how we are building a stronger, more empowered, and effective community.”

Host Your Own Light Australia Green Party or Event

If you’d like to ensure your community is involved, please email [email protected] . Just imagine—everyone across Australia hosting their own Light Australia Green party, event, or gathering simultaneously on the same day, at the same time united in solidarity and action for World Cholangiocarcinoma Day.

Ben Kikuchi
Director of Patient Integration & Advocacy

• [email protected] 

This article is a variation of an original piece published by News of the Area, highlighting Lynette Williams’ journey. It has been adapted and expanded with additional insights for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation Australia to inspire and empower patients and caregivers.