Australian soap star Alea O’Shea is undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.
A GoFundMe page set up Thursday for the 25-year-old “Home and Away” alum revealed that she recently underwent surgery for a diagnosis she made public in November.
“Over the past few months, Alea has bravely battled a brain tumor and the many treatments that come with it,” the fundraiser description reads.
The page was started by Ms O’Shea’s friends with her permission “after months of persuasion” and said her cancer journey had been “incredibly difficult” for the actress and her family.
“Like many families surviving a serious illness, we have found that many important cancer treatments, therapies and procedures are not covered by private health insurance, creating a significant ongoing financial burden.”
The caption said Ms O’Shea was supporting other women facing cancer by creating her own fundraiser “to help young women who don’t have the means to buy quality wigs and feel good about themselves”.
“Her generous spirit touched many of us during these difficult times,” friends of Ms O’Shea said.
The page asks for donations “to help alleviate the financial pressures of treatment and related costs” in O’Shea’s fight against cancer.
The GoFundMe had raised more than $82,700 from more than 600 donors as of Monday morning.
O’Shea, who played Darcey Callaghan on Home and Away from 2011 to 2014 and 2016 to 2017, revealed her cancer diagnosis in a social media video on November 28.
“This is obviously a video I didn’t think I needed to make, but I was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor,” she told her Instagram followers.
“It’s insane to say something like Hook. It’s been a crazy few weeks,” she added.
Ms O’Shea said early symptoms included uneven smiling, difficulty speaking and some migraines.
But after losing feeling in two of his fingers, then his wrists and toes, he went to the doctor on his birthday and underwent a brain scan, where he learned of his diagnosis.
Ms O’Shea said doctors warned her of complications during treatment, including hair loss and paralysis on the left side of her body.
“So for the next few months, I might be shooting videos with one hand. It might disappear when I need it,” she said.
“But mostly, I’m just going to show up as me every day as much as I can.”
