SENIOR SCHOOL
We are so thankful for the support of all the
students and staff of School House and the
Guildford Grammar School community. It
was an inspiring event to be a part of and
an amazing team to ride with.
Michelle Ainsworth
Mother of Mitchell Ainsworth
From Mitchell
I’m 17 years old. I would like to share with
you my story. Looking back to the early
stages of 2014, I was just a fairly regular
teenage guy, and I certainly had the mindset
to match it, I thought I was untouchable,
and the biggest concern I had in my life was
an upcoming maths test, how naive was I?
This story is about how a small painful lump
changed my life forever.
Cancer was possibly the one illness I never
imagined I would have at age 16. After
numerous tests, it was confirmed that the
painful lump was an osteosarcoma on my
left femur, which would require treatment
in the form of a gruelling 18 rounds of
chemotherapy along with limb salvage
surgery to remove 20cm of bone, including
my knee. The process was long and tough
and it threatened my life, but thankfully
with the brilliant team I had treating and
supporting me, I was one of the lucky ones
to become a survivor!
I urge all of you to get behind the fight
to find a cure. This journey may have
taught me many things, but one thing of
significance that I have learned relates to
the word hate, the word Mum was always
telling me not to use because it was such
a strong word. But when something steals
your happiness, your knee and surrounding
muscles, forces you to sit idly by while the
sporting team you can never be a part of
again wins those games, and puts you
through a year of hell, I think it’s alright
to say you hate Sarcomas. Sarcomas steal
lives, be it literally or figuratively. This is
something worth fighting against, in any
way you can!
Mitchell Ainsworth (12Sc)
27