Nicole Arbuckle's High Tea for Hope

My Melanoma Journey & Why I’m Hosting a Biggest Morning Tea

Cancer changes you.  

Even when it’s caught early.  

Even when there’s hope.  

Even when you try to keep life as normal as possible.

For me, it started with two moles on my back. I probably wouldn’t have noticed them—because they were out of sight, easy to ignore. But my 9-year-old daughter, Katherine, did. She saw that something looked "off" and pointed it out with the kind of innocent curiosity only a child can bring.

That moment my Dr would go on to say might have saved my life.

Those two moles were excised and biopsied. The results came back: melanomas. Hearing that word was like time slowing down. I remember trying to stay calm for my kids while my mind raced through every possible "what if." But it wasn’t over. The pathology showed they didn’t have clear margins—so I now head back in for wide excision surgery on June 10th.

Then, I wait again. For the next set of biopsy results. Hoping—desperately—that I’m one of the lucky ones. That it’s just removal and move on. But even if that’s the case, my life has already changed forever.

I now face:

- Skin checks every six months for the rest of my life  

- Genetic testing to see if I’m part of the 2% of people who carry melanoma-related gene mutations  

- The knowledge that I’m five times more likely to develop more melanomas  

- The weight of this journey at only 37 years old  

But this isn't just my story.

Cancer has impacted my family too deeply, too often.  

My beautiful Aunty Ali passed away from inflammatory breast cancer—an aggressive, rare form that gave her little time.  

And Robyn, my mum’s best friend—gone so suddenly it left us breathless. Her warmth, joy, and presence are deeply missed.

So this year, I’ve decided to turn my story into action by hosting a Biggest Morning Tea to raise funds for the Cancer Council.

It’s more than tea and cake.  

It’s about honouring the ones we’ve lost, holding space for those still fighting, and fuelling research that gives the rest of us a fighting chance.  

It’s about awareness, community, and connection.

I’m doing this for Katherine, who noticed what I didn’t.  

For Charlotte who said this is not sigma alpha and doesn't want her whole life to become cancer.

For Aunty Ali and Robyn, who deserved more time.  

And for every single person who’s ever felt the rug pulled out from under them by a diagnosis.

If cancer has touched your life, or the life of someone you love, I invite you to join me. Donate, attend, or simply share. Every little bit helps.

Because early detection saves lives.  

Because research changes outcomes.  

Because we need each other.

Nicole Arbuckle

Melanoma Survivor in Progress