PATIENT 71

An inspiring true story of resilience, tenacity and a promise that fuelled one woman’s fight for life.

Terminal cancer patient Julie Randall details her life-changing health crisis and her desperate battle to survive in Patient 71. Having pretty much bullied her way onto overseas trials for a new drug and so far lived 5 years down the track to tell the tale, after initially receiving a 12 months to live prognosis for stage 4 melanoma, we follow her cancer journey.

Patient 71 is a compelling read in parts but you don’t get much insight into the treatment itself and Julie’s story to me is somewhat held back.

There is an underlying theme in the book. One of Julie protecting her teenage daughters. I sense this over protectiveness towards her daughters is the main reason Julie holds back with a lot of her story. It had me questioning throughout the book, if her daughters weren’t too precious and too over protected.

I get it though. Wanting to protect your children. I suspect with my ongoing chronic illness {read here: pieces of me} I’m doing something along the same vein. I’m also the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, so I honestly see things from both sides.

Filling the gaps in the story is a repetitiveness. Firstly in the motivational chants and secondly through letters to Julie’s late mother that have a tendency to rehash ground already covered. The book also seems to leave you hanging ever so slightly at the end. Treatment appears to be ongoing and although a lot is left unsaid, this is still an inspiring story. This is by no means a how to cure cancer story but it doesn’t promise to be.