Jess faces her biggest challenge

Nuriootpa’s  Jessica Hill is a 16 year old whose wisdom shines beyond her years.

Proudly “born and bred in the Barossa”, she takes every opportunity that crosses her path as she learns and grows from each experience along the way.

Jess is described as the “doer” in the family by parents, Katie and Kym who have seen her caring nature in action as she strives to help others, whether it’s stepping up for family, friends or community.

Not one to succumb to peer pressure, Jess says, “I don’t let social influence take control”.

Her Mum, Katie describes how her eldest daughter had to grow up very quickly.

“Her seven and a half month old brother, Riley passed away when she was nine. She had to grow up and had to be quite strong from that point,” Katie says.

“I think that really did shape her because she just turned into this beautiful, caring little person. She was very strong through it, she looked after us.”

Although Jess doesn’t remember too much from that time, the sudden loss of her little brother resulted in her becoming a resilient teen that others have come to rely on for friendship and support.

Jess’ mental strength captured the attention of a Nuriootpa High School counsellor who selected her to participate in Operation Flinders because of her ability to make friends with people from all walks of life and for her calming nature.

“He said that I would be good because I’m so high spirited and am really that ‘neutraliser’ in the group that can keep everyone calm – I was selected for being Switzerland!” says Jess.

Not knowing exactly what she was getting herself into, Jess laughs at how she was “dropped in the bush” with nine other students from Nuriootpa and Kapunda High Schools.

“Basically, it was 8 days of walking around the Flinders Ranges and it was intense! Fending for myself, sleeping on the ground, no pillows, no tents, no technology, nothing pretty much!

“It was a good experience. It was really good not having technology or anything and just getting to know the people around you. Sometimes they didn’t really get along… I got along with everyone but by the end of it, nobody even really wanted to leave.”

She said wandering around in the summer heat in the Flinders helped her to “find herself” whilst gaining a new level of maturity when it came to “getting out of her comfort zone” and being independent.

“All that walking…You just wanted to give up but you had to keep on pushing. I didn’t think I could survive without anything like electricity, makeup or whatever, but you can. It’s not as hard as you think it is.

“You talk to the people we went with, they wanted to go back, not because of the walking, but because they missed the nights that we got to sit together and just talk and not be distracted by technology and Facebook and whatever.”

The Operation Flinders experience paved the way to an even bigger adventure last year when she went to Cambodia with RAW Impact for two weeks, staying at three different locations.

“It was such a great experience,” says Jess.

“We built houses completely made out of bamboo…Then we did agriculture stuff, so we made pots and built fences and stuff like that.

“It does make me want to go back…Just because it was so rewarding. All the kids were so beautiful and so kind and it was so nice to be over there knowing that you are helping these people by giving them a home.”

Jess returned home from her Cambodian adventure on Christmas Eve and within a matter of days, found out she would be facing another challenge – the biggest she  will ever need to overcome.

“In January, before school went back, I was diagnosed with bowel cancer,” says Jess.

It’s a cruel twist for the Year 12 student who turns 17 on March 21.

She has what her family calls “some nasty genetics” that give her a 1 in 3 chance of getting cancer as a middle aged adult.

Her maternal grandmother recovered from bowel cancer after contracting the disease at 42.

However, Jess has an additional “rogue” gene which doctors believe has triggered issues at a much younger age.

It means she has an adult cancer and will now undergo immunotherapy as part of a new trial which is showing positive results in adults with the same DNA defect.

“There is plenty of evidence to back it – they’ve had good results so far,” she says.

Having already spent eight days in hospital undergoing tests, Jess says she’s gone through “every scanning machine  there is” and has to smile at the situation.

“I’m a ‘day by dayer’ – I’ll just take it as it comes. I guess you can’t really plan ahead because you don’t know what’s going to happen… You’ve just got to hope for the best and be positive.”

The recent diagnosis will test Jess’ mental strength like nothing she has experienced before and as she begins treatment she has been “overwhelmed” by community support.

Nuriootpa Netball Club, where she hasn’t missed a season since she was seven years of age, ran a special fund raising event in conjunction with the Footy Club and Angas Park Hotel resulting in $2,600 being collected in a massive show of support for the young Barossan who has always been there for others.

“There was literally like standing room only,” Jess says.

“If you were to live in Adelaide compared to the Barossa I don’t think you would have seen that kind of support.

“I was like wow, I don’t even know some of these people but they are still here for me, you know? They are here because they heard about my story. It makes you feel, I don’t know… loved I guess, and that there’s just a good community out there.”

Geared up and remaining positive about her future, Jess is excited to be starting Year 12 and is thankful her school has been so flexible and supportive.

She is as chatty and bubbly as ever and remains strong for her little siblings, six year old Jacob and three year old Charlotte whom she says “are fun to be around” and make her laugh.

Jess is a great believer of laughter being the best medicine and is trying to convince her parents that she needs a Pug puppy.

“I find them so funny! They are so therapeutic. Laughter is the cure to cancer and Pugs are just so funny to look at. I think I’d just laugh all the time!”

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