“Leaving something in my Will to assist women with gynaecological cancers is very rewarding...I’m sure she’d be really proud and smiling on us to think that her passing is going to make a difference for someone else in the future.”
Duncan and Lyn shared a life full of laughter, love and family. When he looks back, he remembers “lots of smiles, lots of things that we enjoyed.” But above all, he says, “the highlight of us living together was our three children.” Watching their children grow up was the pinnacle of Lyn’s life and remains one of the greatest parts of the legacy she left behind.
Then came a diagnosis of a severe gynaecological cancer when Lyn was diagnosed ovarian cancer on New Years in 2008.
“Lyn’s illness was majorly severe,” Duncan says. “Her will to survive and do everything she could to prolong the inevitable, because we knew it was inevitable, we had that discussion, was incredible.”
She went through a series of operations, blood transfusions and all the things that was needed with advanced overian cancer.
But even while facing the reality of her illness, Lyn’s focus was not only on survival, but on what she could leave behind. She wanted her life to stand for something bigger. “She had a massive will to live and a massive will to fight,” Duncan says. “Her legacy now lives on.”
Turning pain into purpose
Lyn refused to let cancer define her final chapter. Instead, she began fundraising and advocating, determined to help other women facing similar diagnoses. She wanted to make the world better, even as her own world was shrinking.
That passion helped spark what would become Team Teal, a campaign dedicated to raising awareness and vital funds for gynaecological cancer research.
What started as one woman’s determination to create change has grown into a powerful movement, supporting research and driving conversations across Australia.
For Duncan, continuing that work became deeply personal. Supporting WomenCan, and the broader mission behind Team Teal, means ensuring Lyn’s fight was not in vain. “More funding is fundamentally important to drive research and drive better outcomes for women as they go forward,” he says “Leaving money in my Will is my way of ensuring Lyn's legacy continues beyond us both.”
A legacy that reaches future generations
Today, Duncan honours Lyn not only through memories, but through action. He has chosen to leave a gift in his Will to WomenCan, helping fund research that could change outcomes for women in the future.
“Leaving something in my Will to assist women with gynaecological cancers, not only for me but for my family and for my late wife, is very rewarding,” he says. “I’m sure she’d be really proud and smiling on us to think that her passing is going to make a difference for someone else in the future.”
For Duncan, this decision is also about the next generation. “The rewarding part is doing something for my daughter and granddaughters,” he says.
Through his gift Lyn’s courage lives on, supporting research, improving outcomes, and offering hope to families who may one day face what theirs did. Her fight, her strength and her determination to make a difference live on, not just in memory, but in meaningful, lasting change.
Duncan’s story shows how one person’s generosity can have a lasting effect. Gifts in Wills are vital to funding research and improving outcomes for women facing these cancers.
If you’d like to discuss leaving a gift in your Will, we would be honoured to speak with you. Contact us today to find out how your legacy can make a difference.
