General News
7 July, 2025
Legacy lives on in 'Karen Made'
Karen Wood will always be remembered by her family as a woman who enjoyed the simple things in life: coffee, family, friends and sunshine.
Karen Wood will always be remembered by her family as a woman who enjoyed the simple things in life: coffee, family, friends and sunshine.
But Karen also had so much to give, and now her family wants her legacy to continue giving after she recently succumbed to cancer.
"As a mum, she was caring, kind and extremely generous," daughter Elly explained.
"She taught us independence and resilience and to always do our best and give everything a go.
"She loved us unconditionally and never expected more than what we could do or give."
According to Elly, her mum was always beautifully dressed and loved clothes, handbags, jewellery and shoes.
"Bright colours, cute things, florals – a real girly girl," Elly fondly reflected.
"And as a person, she was gentle and supportive, a wonderful listener.
"She loved a coffee date or Friday night wine and chips.
"Her favorite way to spend her time was sitting in the sun enjoying her garden."
Karen was adored by her children and their partners and her grandchildren, including Lauren, her husband Greg Wiggins and their children Blakely and Hudson (Horsham), Elly Wood (Melbourne), John Wood and his fiancee Olivia (Gold Coast), and Greta Wood and her partner Jez (northern NSW).
She had just finished 11 years in her shop, My Bowtique, and had many plans for her retirement.
They consisted of helping her friend Robyn Anders in her clothes shop, enjoying life at her own pace and savouring her coffees in the sun without the pressures of business life.
She was also looking forward to shopping trips to Melbourne, visiting Elly, and escaping to northern NSW and Queensland to avoid the cold with her husband, Rob.
Again, enjoying the sunshine and the little things life up there had to offer, Elly said.
Growing up, Karen gave her children a childhood filled with love.
"A childhood filled with handmade clothes as she loved to sew," Elly said.
"We had baked-at-home hedgehog and treats in our lunchboxes and Women’s Weekly birthday book cakes.
"Her love language was gift giving; she always made birthdays and occasions so memorable and wonderful with beautiful gift cards with kind words, amazing gift wrapping and her gifts always felt like they came from the heart.
"Even as adults, she would spoil us with gifts."
But Karen and her family had no idea that lurking behind a health issue she had earlier in life was something more sinister.
Karen had experienced gallstones but, like many other sufferers, wasn't made aware of the fact that having long-term gallstones could increase the risk of gallbladder cancer.
And Karen was one of the unlucky ones: one of the two in every 100,000, diagnosed with cancer in her gallbladder in May.
"We couldn’t believe there was no option to have surgery or treatment," Elly said, reflecting on the diagnosis for her mum.
"Mum was such a healthy, well person, and to be told there was nothing that could be done time and time again was unfathomable.
"There was no time to process it, no proper time to fight it, no time to plan or even understand; just shock and heartbreak.
"We held on to hope, we prayed and tried to be with her every moment we had left."
Sadly, the disease claimed Karen's life in just four short weeks.
And now, along with mourning their sorrow, the family has been left to wonder: "What if?"
"We are so deeply saddened," Elly said.
"If more people knew that long-term gallstones could increase the risk of gallbladder cancer, maybe things would have been different.
"Maybe Mum would have been offered surgery earlier.
"Maybe she would have pushed harder.
"Maybe we would have known to ask different questions."
But the link is not known widely and it's not spoken of.
"It wasn’t something we were warned about – and we should have been," Elly said.
"There’s a sense of helplessness knowing that this information existed but it didn’t reach us.
"And that’s what drives us now: to make sure it reaches others."
Rob and Karen's eldest daughter, Lauren, also has a gallstone diagnosis from eight years ago and was told by oncology there was no reason to follow up.
"But knowing what we know now, she is choosing to be proactive and have it removed," Elly said.
Knowledge was power, Elly said, and while Lauren's decision could save her life, the family wished they had known sooner so that their mum could still possibly be here today.
"We can’t say that for certain but we truly believe there would have been a greater chance," Elly said.
"She could have had her gallbladder removed 18 years ago and avoided it altogether.
"If there had been more awareness, more early detection such as regular gallbladder checks, more research into treatment options, even just better medical and public education around the risks, we may have had more time.
"She may have had the option of surgery or at least a chance to fight."
Elly said it was devastating to think her mum's death might have been preventable, and that was why the family felt the need to speak up.
"We don’t want other families to experience the same thing," she said.
"Being unlucky isn’t enough for us."
The family has created 'Karen Made': a foundation named for everything their mum was and everything she inspired.
"We want to turn our loss into action," Elly said.
"Through it, we hope to raise awareness of gallbladder cancer and its link to gallstones, support research into rare cancers which often get left behind, encourage early detection and better education (for doctors and patients alike), and honour Mum’s memory by continuing the generosity, love and strength she gave to others.
"We want people to hear her name and know that Karen made a difference: that her life had purpose and that her story is helping others now.
"Her love hasn’t left us; it’s just taken a new shape in everything we’re doing moving forward."
Elly is also running the Gold Coast half-marathon and raising money for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation.
She said she was also hoping to do the same for the Melbourne full marathon.
To donate to Karen Made visit https://gofund.me/f59b19a8
