Farmer Kate, a cattle farmer from Kingaroy thought she’d already lost everything – her marriage, her job, her home, her cattle, but nothing compared to the moment she began to lose her vision.
After Kate was diagnosed with MS, doctors were thankfully able to restore her vision but her livelihood as a farmer was at risk.
Farm Angels were a lifeline for Kate and her two young boys, now, she’s giving back as an ambassador for Flanno for a Farmer.
For Kate, looking back over the last four years, a lot has happened in her life, but despite everything she is proud to have found her feet, but hasn’t forgotten those who helped her along the way.
Speaking to Kate, you wouldn’t have any idea of what she has been through separating from her husband, losing her job, house and car, because she maintains a positive focus on the future and being there for her two sons Hunter and Fletcher.
When it comes to her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, Kate said she had been fighting symptoms for many years, but had just always pushed through it, appreciating that she had to keep working to make ends meet.
“One day while I was working, I noticed that my vision was starting to go, so I sought medical assistance in town and was immediately referred to see a specialist in Brisbane,” she said.
“Thankfully, doctors were able to restore my vision, but I was warned that rest was essential to prevent future flare-ups, not easy as a single mother running a cattle property and so used to do things for myself from mustering to doing the books and raising the boys.
“I have always been a community person, something that I shared with my boys and since my diagnosis it has been good in that I know how to work with it, but has also forced me to not do quite as much as I used to.”
While the MS diagnosis brought clarity, it also forced Kate to plan carefully for her health and future.
It isn’t just her health that Kate has had to battle through, when it comes to her livelihood, Kate has also been struck with a lot of bad luck.
She has battled loss of cattle ridden with ticks, drought and coming dangerously close to running out of hay.
Struggling to keep her cattle alive, Kate sold her property to buy a more mobile-friendly property where she did everything – built the house, did the mustering, the trucking, the plumbing – all herself.
During this time, Kate was still struggling to put food on the table for her two young boys, Hunter and Fletcher.
Her two boys (now 16 and 14) worked tirelessly at home, noting that even small treats like packets of lollies or chips were out of their budget.
The stress of her situation caused her MS to flare up again, this time she started to lose feeling in her legs and following her second flare-up, Kate had to undergo chemotherapy for her MS.
That’s when Farm Angles came into Kate’s life, delivering a Christmas hamper and visiting Kate’s property.
“Farm Angels are such beautiful people and they really understood what I was talking about, sitting with me on my veranda and listening to me,” she said.
“As the name suggests, they are literally angels, because they not only financially helped me, but they also offered emotional support as well.
“They bought the chemicals that killed the ticks off my cattle, they bought food for my kids, I can’t thank them enough.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
Farm Angels have since given Kate the support which has enabled the purchase of cattle immunisations, saving poddy calves and helped Kate get back on her feet.
“The beauty of someone like Farm Angels, is you always know they are there, because not only did they understand and care for me in a time of real need, they followed up and checked on me.
“It is knowing these people were there for me, it is not just a job, but they actually believe in what they are doing.
“They provided the perfect amount at the right time and Farm Angels have become part of my team.
“Throughout all I have been through, I have found that there is no life without a team and that can be family or friends and I have continued to find that in my team everyone has their own strength and it makes a real difference to my life and that of my sons and we continue to look forward to the future.”
Kate is an ambassador for Farm Angels’ upcoming campaign Flanno for a Farmer fundraising campaign, which calls on Australians to don their best flannelette shirt and raise money for farming families in need.
The official day of Flanno for a Farmer is Friday 15 August.
To donate, head to flannoforafarmer.com.au
