Inspired by Teresa Neate’s journey, The Aftershock exists to ensure no patient is disadvantaged based on their cancer type, advocating for greater awareness and research funding for high-mortality-rate cancers. In this article, we speak with Teresa’s daughter, Suz Neate, Founder and CEO, about the mission to improve survival outcomes where progress has been overlooked.
CommunityTurning Loss into Action
Next ArticleTurning Loss into Action
02 February 2026
The Aftershock was founded in response to Teresa’s diagnosis and the profound impact it had on you and your family. How did that experience shape the charity’s purpose and the work it does today?
The lack of representation for certain cancers and the lack of knowledge were huge driving forces in launching The Aftershock. It was clear that not all cancers are well understood, and some still don’t have effective treatment, so symptoms are missed, diagnosis is delayed, and survival rates are impacted. I focused on the root problem: raising funds and awareness for lesser-known cancers and shifting survival rates that haven’t changed in over 30 years, so we see fewer people like my mum in hospital, and fewer 25-year-old women watching their mothers die.
How does the focus on supporting cancers that often receive less attention and funding guide your decisions as the organisation evolves?
People caught in the ripple effect of a lesser-known cancer diagnosis often don’t feel heard or seen. Researchers are talented and motivated, but they’re not receiving the funding. Thousands of Australians are impacted every day; these cancers make up 50% of Victorian cancer deaths each year, and yet no one is talking about them. These cancers aren’t that rare, and watching control being taken away from my mum, from us, and even from medical professionals was unbearable. It guides how we raise awareness, where funding goes, and what support content we create. With the right funding directed to the right places, we can increase survival rates by investing in researchers who can make a difference.
Teresa’s Trotters began as a way to honour Teresa’s memory and bring people together. As the event returns this February, what does it represent to you now compared to when it first began?
People show up for Teresa, but also for others impacted by cancer beyond our network, and they find purpose in it. Seeing returning walkers and new faces connected to our vision is an incredible feeling. It has become something so much bigger than where it began.
What do you most hope Teresa’s Trotters and The Aftershock will be known for in the years to come?
We want to be known as the organisation that helped increase survival rates for high mortality cancers, and as a voice for those who have passed and those who cannot speak. We don’t sugarcoat how horrific a cancer experience is or how crippling grief can be, and that honesty has built our community. We want Teresa’s Trotters to keep broadening beyond our network and become the go-to fundraising event for high-mortality cancers, with a fundraising goal of $40,000 this year. And we would absolutely love your support in helping us achieve this.
