Racine Bakery owner Willa Arantz diagnosed with brain tumour

For roughly five years, Willa Arantz showed signs that not all was well.

Pain in her left arm and the occasional slurred speech was put down to the wear and tear of working in the hospitality industry.

Then in 2023, the Racine Bakery owner was playing a game of tennis with a friend who worked in the medical profession. After losing her balance on more than one occasion during the match, Mrs Arantz was told she should see a neurologist.

Scans showed that she had been living with a brain tumour.

"Initially when we went in, (doctors) weren't too concerned," her husband Shaun Arantz said.

Mrs Arantz was booked in for a biopsy the following week.

The results showed she had a stage four malignant tumour located on her cerebellum.

The doctor was "quite concerned" and booked her in for surgery a few days later.

"They got a fair whack of it out. There's about 20 per cent left now," Mr Arantz added.

She started radiotherapy treatment on July 3 and after that, will undergo chemotherapy. All in all, this line of treatment will continue until March 2024.

"It sucks," Mr Arantz said.

"We were told that depending on the level of reaction from the brain following the operation, she could, worst case scenario, lose all ability to talk and to walk."

The cerebellum is the part of a brain that helps coordinate and regulate functions around one's body.

"The ability not to walk wouldn't be quadriplegic, it would be that her balance system was so thrown out she couldn't stand up," Mr Arantz added.

"She has slight symptoms of that."

Mrs Arantz still knows how to speak, but getting the words out is the problem.

"It depends on the day. She sometimes can't talk at all," Mr Arantz said.

"She will have to do rehab and learn to talk again."

As for the couple's children - a 13-year-old boy and eight-year-old daughter - they are doing the best they can to cope with the situation.

"It's hard for them to see that their mum is bed-bound most of the day," Mr Arantz said.

"We've been pretty open with them and explained it the best way we think we can."

A naturally private person, Mr Arantz found it hard at first to accept help. But he said the amount of help the family had received was extremely welcome.

"We've got an amazing friendship group. Having been in business for 16 years now, there is an amazing amount of support," he said.

One way this presented itself was through a Gofundme page which raised more than $85,000 to go towards the care for Mrs Arantz.

"The great thing about living in a town like Orange, people just want to help," Mr Arantz added.

To donate, search 'help our Willa beat this brain tumor' on Gofundme.com

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