Jodi and her husband Nick were living in Vietnam in 2008 where Nick was working. Happily together for 12 years, they were having the time of their lives with their two young children.

Nick was away when Jodi rang complaining of constipation, abdominal pain and some bloating. Her doctor quickly recognised an obstruction in her bowel and ordered scans. Jodi had cancer and the tumour had all but blocked her bowel. She was only 39 years old.

After emergency surgery to remove the cancer Jodi and Nick received the worst news possible – the cancer had spread to Jodi’s lymph and liver. At best, she only had two years to live.

One of the hardest things was telling their children, Jack and Arabella their mum was going to die. Jodi passed away on 16 January 2010, a few days before her 41st birthday.

Before Jodi’s diagnosis she was fit and healthy. She had no family history and no symptoms whatsoever, which is typical of bowel cancer.

The saddest part of Jodi’s story is that it could have had a different ending if her bowel cancer had been detected early.

With that simple fact as the driving force, the Jodi Lee Bowel Cancer Foundation was established in 2010.