Nicholas Kelly

Nick is a widower, a father and an investment management professional. Nick’s personal story started in September 2018 when his wife and partner of 16 years Nicole was diagnosed with a rare cancer only weeks before their little boy Xander turned one. With some excellent support from his employer, Nick was able to take a leave of absence to help look after both Nicole and Xander as her disease progressed quickly. Unfortunately, Nicole passed away in January 2020 leaving Nick a widow and a single parent to a 2 year old boy.

Nick is a big believer in sharing his story to help talk about cancer and death more openly so that we as a society are better able to deal with the inevitable but more importantly live our lives much like his late wife Nicole did – with gratitude, humour and love.

Nick’s personal story as a carer, a widower and a single father to a young child create the diversity within our panel of advisors (and Nick also shares his thoughts about grief and death – his favourite topics outside of sport which he somehow does with a smile!).

Erini Dinou

Erini knows too well what it is like to have your world turned upside down in a split second with the words "you have cancer". Erini has been on her own journey two times with Breast cancer in 2014, and then in 2020 the breast cancer returned along with Thyroid cancer.

“In an instant your life changes and the decisions you have to make, are so very daunting, scary and unreal. From telling your family and friends, leaving work, closing down a business, having a relationship breakdown, treatment choices and surgery decisions.”  

“Getting back to work after having cancer is also hard.  Feelings of lethargy, memory loss, plus needing time off for continued treatment and appointments and just being out of work space for a time is confronting. Especially if you go into a new job where the company and staff don't understand your condition and what you have been through and are still going through.”

Erini is very excited to be working alongside the amazing team at MyMuse to tell her story and educate work places to understand the reality of life with cancer, and their carers during a cancer journey.  To help them understand and support their staff.

“We need a team effort to support during treatment and recovery.  We need to do it together.”

Megan Charles

There are a number of factors that have humbled Megan over the past few years, starting with an unexpected redundancy from the events industry, which she had been a part of for over 17 years.  Followed by a global pandemic and then a breast cancer diagnosis in August of 2020.

With a background in the corporate sector working across banking & finance, ICT, renewable energy, government and education, Megan brings an array of skills to the MyMuse team as an advisor. Her ability to connect with management, means she is in a position to support MyMuse’s mission to change the way cancer is seen and dealt with in the workplace.

Currently in active treatment, Megan is excited to be able to share her firsthand knowledge and experience of navigating the many facets of a cancer diagnosis in a practical and simple to understand way.  Something she wished she had been able to find when the world around her was crumbling, in lock down and behind a face mask.

Alisa Carpenter

Alisa joins the MyMuse team as an Advisor bringing with her not only working experience in supporting those with disAbility, regaining recovery following injury and trauma, but her own very recent experience with cancer. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma just as the COVID-19 pandemic began, and now in remission, Alisa’s recovery was presented with additional challenges and learnings. Coupled with her skills and qualifications Alisa supports others with her deep understanding, insights, self-care strategies and empathy.

Alisa has now returned to work for The Change Room as a Wellness & Life Design Coach supporting injured workers. Previously she has held worked in senior management roles within the public sector innovating approaches to community service design, disAbility, injury rehabilitation and welfare.