Aussie caravanning couple out to dispel travel myth after ‘toothache’ ends in devastating diagnosis

An Aussie couple who left their 9 to 5 life behind to fulfil their “dream” of caravanning around the country are out to dispel a common travel myth. Four years ago, in the midst of the Covid pandemic, Silvia and John’s world was turned upside down when a physician diagnosed her with Stage 3 bone jaw cancer.

“It started with a toothache which was misdiagnosed for eight months,” Silvia told Yahoo News Australia on Tuesday. “I remember John and I sitting there, the specialist touched my chin and said ‘you’ve got bone cancer in the jaw’.”

The stunned 55-year-old woman from Victoria insisted that couldn’t be true, given she had X-rays done months earlier at her dentist’s office and “all tests came back fine”. However, an additional biopsy proved the specialist was correct and she was sent to see an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

“It was at this point that I mentally checked out, I remember thinking I hope John’s listening because it was all too much for me. I sat there like an empty shell, unable to absorb anything more,” Silvia told Yahoo. “It was all too overwhelming. Basically they were going to take out the cancer and my bottom jaw, and replace my jaw with my fibula from my leg along with a titanium plate.”

Aussie woman undergoes brutal 16-hour jaw reconstruction

The daunting 16-hour procedure was a success, however, she quickly developed an infection, leaving her face “distorted” and forcing surgeons to remove and “bin” her jaw reconstruction. During this time she came close to dying — twice.

Miraculously, after 10 days in the intensive care unit, Silvia began to heal.

“My road to recovery was hard and very painful,” she said. “I had a tracheostomy so I was not able to talk, and was fed through a feeding peg. I had to learn to walk again and my speech had been very much affected, so talking is somewhat difficult now.”

The couple, who up until this point had been working full-time, pushed forward in an effort to get used to their new normal — but there was one element they didn’t want to change.

“John and I had always talked about travelling around Australia in our caravan when we retire, and we both worked hard towards making that a reality someday,” Silvia told Yahoo. “It was always our dream, however we questioned if we were ever going to be able to do it at all after cancer.”

Couple turn caravan into ‘little hospital on wheels’

After the 55-year-old completed her radiation treatment and continued to improve, the couple proposed the idea of a lap around Australia to her team of doctors.

“They were wrapped with the idea and encouraged us to go and enjoy life as much as we can,” Silvia said, adding John then launched into action to turn their caravan into a “little hospital on wheels”.

“He spent weeks setting everything up to make it as workable and comfortable as possible. I still had open wounds from failed skin grafts, a tracheostomy, and was being fed through a tube, but we made it work.”

The couple headed out on their first trip six months after her initial surgery and spent three months wandering around outback Queensland before they had to return to Melbourne for further procedures to correct her mouth and jaw.

Not long after, the pair “took off” again to Cairns and began documenting their journey on social media to inspire other Aussies living with an illness or disability that travelling is still “very much” possible, although it may look a little different.

While up north, Silvia fell ill with cellulitis — a skin infection caused by bacteria — on a few occasions and was admitted to hospital.

“That has always been our biggest concern when we would come into a town. For most people it’s where can we get water topped up, where’s the dump point, supermarket, etc, all those necessities when you’re on the road. For us it was where’s the nearest hospital, just in case, and we have needed the hospital and doctors on quite a few occasions.”

Aussies with illness or disability shouldn’t ‘give up’ on travel

Today, the couple are still on the road and are currently enjoying the sights of northern Western Australia, occasionally heading out for a few nights at a time to enjoy the stars from their swags.

“Our intention is to do a lap of Australia but we will do it in our own time at a slow pace as we do not want to miss anything,” Silvia said, adding travelling has been the best part of her recovery.

“[It] reminded me that I could still do the things I loved — I just had to adjust how I did them. That’s become my life now. I can accomplish anything, but I just do it my own way. My future will still involve doctor’s appointments, oncologist visits and more surgeries, but at least I’m alive.”

Silvia said she encourages anyone who’s had a dream like hers to “keep pursuing it” and “not give up”.

“Don’t let the disability or illness be the reason to hold you back — rather, let it be the motivation to push forward and make it happen.”

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