Jordan was building her career in finance, balancing a high-pressure job with a full social life, travel plans, and a strong circle of friends. Life was busy, but it was hers - active, connected, and full of momentum.
Pancreatic cancer wasn’t on her radar. It didn’t feel relevant. It didn’t feel possible, it didn’t belong in her world.
Until it did.
Jordan was 31. Healthy, social and always on the move. Like many young people, she never imagined this was a disease that could affect her. It was something that happened to someone else - someone older.
The subtle symptoms worsened over three months
It started quietly in December with back pain. At first, it made sense. Jordan had recently been in a car accident, so she did what many would do, she treated the symptoms she could explain. But the pain didn’t ease.
Then came the reflux, subtle at first. It was the festive season with plenty of social events, rich foo and late nights - another explainable symptom.
By January, the pain had intensified, no longer something she could push through. At work, she found herself lying down between meetings with a heat pack pressed against her back just to cope. It was no longer just uncomfortable. It was disruptive and unrelenting.
“This isn’t normal,” her friends told her. They were right.
By March, she acted on that instinct. She sought a second opinion. This time, she felt heard.
From there, everything moved quickly. Tests and scans. Then a call within hours to tell Jordan there were lesions. She was referred immediately to St Vincent’s Hospital for a biopsy.
The results came back. Stage 3 pancreatic cancer.
I didn’t even know what the pancreas was. I thought pancreatic cancer happened to older people - not to someone young like me.
There was no family history. No warning signs she recognised. Just an overwhelming diagnosis that came without invitation. Sitting with her parents and partner, the moment itself felt distant, almost unreal. What followed was a blur; appointments, information, decisions, all happening at a pace that was hard to process.
In the quiet moments, the weight of it all settled in.
Living through the unknown
Jordan had surgery within two weeks of her diagnosis. In that short window she faced something few people are prepared for, the uncertainty of what comes next.
Sleepless nights. Endless questions. Moments of fear she couldn’t put into words.
She began preparing for every possibility - organising her passwords, writing letters to loved ones, and making sure nothing was left unsaid.
“I truly thought I was going to die.”
It’s a reality too many people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer face, not just the physical impact, but the emotional weight that comes with it.
"Look good, feel good"
Chemotherapy began in May, just as Jordan turned 32. Over six months she went through nine grueling rounds of chemotherapy, followed by 30 days of radiation.
At the beginning, she held onto routine and even continued working, but over time, treatment asked more of her. Fatigue deepened, nausea lingered and dizziness became part of daily life. Eventually, work had to pause.Life became smaller and more focused.
Treatment. Rest. Recovery. Repeat.
And yet, within that, Jordan found ways to hold onto herself. Her mantra was simple: look good, feel good.
Even on the hardest days, she made the effort to get dressed, put on makeup, and maintain a sense of normality. It wasn’t about appearance, it was about identity. About holding onto something steady.
When her hair started to thin, she leaned into a cup half full mindset and chose colourful wigs . Moments of brightness and control. These weren’t small things, they were acts of resilience.
“It might seem simple, but it helped me stay positive.”
Choosing colour, even in the toughest moments - a true cup half full approach.
Looking forward, with purpose
Jordan completed treatment in November 2025. Today, she is adjusting to her new normal, planning trips, working part-time and enjoying her life.
There are also realities she hadn’t anticipated. Treatment brought an impact on her fertility, something that hadn’t crossed her mind at diagnosis. With the guidance of her care team, she was able to take steps to preserve the possibility of having children in the future. It’s another reminder of how deeply this disease affects every part of life and why better treatment options matter.
Through the support of friends and loved ones, a new purpose has emerged.
I want to turn a terrible year into something more positive. It doesn’t only affect older Australians. It doesn’t always come with clear warning signs, and too often, it’s detected too late.
I want people to know the symptoms. I want people to know things that I didn’t.
Changing the story for others
Jordan’s experience highlights something we can’t ignore, that pancreatic cancer doesn’t always follow the rules.
Jordan wants people to understand that pancreatic cancer doesn’t always look the way we expect. That symptoms can be subtle, easily explained, and too often dismissed - especially in younger people.
“It isn’t an older person’s disease anymore.”
Right now, early detection remains one of our greatest opportunities to improve survival.
Why this story matters
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the toughest common cancers in Australia. Survival rates have barely shifted in decades.
Stories like Jordan’s remind us what’s at stake for young people.
Pankind supports research and raises awareness that helps advance earlier detection, more effective treatments and a future where age, assumptions, or missed signs don’t stand in the way of better outcomes.
You can support Jordan in her quest to fund research by donating to her fundraising page,