An Australian mother of three who was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in mid-January has tragically died at the age of 33.
Olivia Renga passed away on June 27, leaving behind her young daughters Neve, Wilkie and Elliot and her high school sweetheart, Josh.
Olivia has been remembered as a “beautiful soul” and “a true angel who was taken from us too soon.”
Her body was riddled with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma and was considered “rare and aggressive” because it is normally found in the lungs, not the liver.
The Ballarat couple were “hoping for a miracle” while Olivia was undergoing chemotherapy treatment, but unfortunately the worst happened and Josh was left a single father.
Josh told FEMAIL he is devastated by the loss of his beloved wife.
The couple began seeing each other when they were 16, married in 2016 and had their first child, Neve, four years ago.
“We are devastated and we are just coping as best we can,” he said.
Olivia Renga (pictured with husband Josh and their three daughters) was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in mid-January and died less than six months later.
Before being diagnosed, Olivia experienced nausea and abdominal discomfort in late November last year, which at first was “not at all worrying.”
But on Christmas Eve she suddenly collapsed in extreme pain and was bedridden for the rest of the day.
As it was the festive season, no clinic or pharmacy was open, so Olivia had to endure the agony for a couple of days before finally seeing a GP.
There was no sign of anything sinister in the test results, and her symptoms were not considered serious because she had no family history of liver cancer.
Olivia sought a second opinion from another GP, who was “unsure” about sending her home despite seeing the test results.
“We had a family holiday to Queensland booked for the following week – it was going to be our first big trip together as a small family – but Olivia was sent to A&E for proper tests,” Josh recalled.
Olivia sought a second opinion from another GP who was “not sure” about sending her home despite seeing the test results.
Doctors then performed a biopsy for further testing.
Olivia spent a week in the hospital, the family vacation was cancelled and the couple still didn’t have results for another week.
Josh, who runs his own business, recalled that Olivia visited him at work to share the terrible news after he had visited the doctor.
“It all happened so fast, in the space of a month. We both cried and felt distressed,” she said.
“Neither of us thought it would be like this. It was a total shock. Then we went to the appointment with the oncologist together.”
Doctors found one main tumor and several smaller ones in Olivia’s liver. Her specific cancer was “hard to stop” and chemotherapy only worked for a certain period of time.
She started chemotherapy immediately after diagnosis, but a month ago it stopped working effectively, so doctors switched to another drug without success.
Doctors were unable to accurately predict how much time Olivia had left.
The couple met in high school and started dating when they were 16 and later got married in 2016.
Josh also shared a heartfelt message he wants all Australians to know: “Life is fragile, so let’s not waste it. It can be very cruel at times, but you have to keep going and look on the bright side,” he said.
The family spent as much time together at home as possible, but Olivia went to the hospital when necessary.
“Life is a lot different than it was six months ago,” Josh previously said.
“I hope for a miracle every day. It burns me up inside to think about what our future could be like.
“Especially with our girls. They need their mom, they need her at their weddings, on every Mother’s Day… we just don’t know what’s going to happen and the unknown is really hard to deal with.”
Now unfortunately their worst fears have come true.
Josh also shared an emotional message he wants all Australians to know.
“Life is fragile, don’t waste it. It can be very cruel at times, but you have to move on and look at the positive side,” she said.
The couple hoped sharing Olivia’s story would highlight how life can change in an instant and no one is immune to cancer.
“A positive attitude is the best tool you can have. It’s the only thing you can control,” Josh added.
If you would like to contribute to Olivia’s GoFundMe, Click here.
