Source : Perth Now news
NSW Deputy Premier Prue Car has donated her famous wig “Barbara” to cancer patients, sharing a major update in the health battle which rocked her life more than a year ago.
Ms Car opened up to A Current Affair about her experience, using humour, honesty and her now well-known brunette bob to help shine a light on screening and recovery.
The deputy premier, who has been treated at Sydney’s Chris O’Brien Lifehouse since her stage two diagnosis was picked up through routine screening in June last year, said she is steadily improving and following the advice of her doctors.
“I’m doing what I’m being told to do by my medical team,” Ms Car told the program.
“Yeah, and feeling like I’m recovering more and more each day, which is great.”
During treatment, one unexpected detail became part of the story.
Her wig, nicknamed Barbara by her stepdaughter, brought some humour during a difficult time.
“My stepdaughter decided to call her Barbara,” she said.
“I don’t know why a brunette bob is called Barbara, but we just ran with it.
“Sometimes humour can be really helpful.”
Ms Car has previously spoken about how difficult hair loss was during treatment, describing it as one of the first things many women think about after a cancer diagnosis.
She said anything that helps women feel some control again can make a huge difference.
Barbara has found a new home in the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse wig library, a service that depends on donated wigs for patients going through treatment.
The cost can be significant, with synthetic wigs starting in the hundreds of dollars and handwoven versions costing thousands.
While some encouraged her to do something bold with her hair, Ms Car kept the look simple.
Her latest diagnosis was not the first time she has faced cancer in public life. Ms Car also underwent treatment for kidney cancer in 2022 before later returning to work.
Health experts are trying to lift participation in the breast screening program.
Free mammograms are recommended every two years for women aged 50 to 74, while women aged 40 to 49 and 75 and over can also access screening.
In NSW, just over 51 per cent of eligible women are taking part, leaving a large number missing out on a program that can detect breast cancer before symptoms appear.
BreastScreen NSW has also found that more than 40 per cent of women who delayed screening did so because they felt too busy with everyday life.
Ms Car is making the most of the public attention, urging women not to put off checks that could catch cancer early.
She said women often stop her in the street to share their own stories of surviving breast cancer years, even decades, ago.
Those encounters, she explained, have shown her how many women come through treatment and go on to live full lives.
“That’s why early detection is important. You want to get in, get the treatment you need and go on to thrive,” she said.
