Kellie Finlayson opens up on life with terminal cancer as she reveals why she doesn't want a funeral
Author and influencer Kellie Finlayson, who has lived with stage four bowel cancer for five years, recently shared that she has no plans for a traditional funeral. Instead, she wants her loved ones to celebrate her life rather than mourn her death.
Finlayson explained that she has already arranged her affairs, made her wishes clear to family and friends, and joked that if anyone ignored her request, she would “haunt everyone.” She emphasized that spreading her ashes would be enough, as she values having control over this one aspect of her journey.
Since her diagnosis shortly after giving birth to her daughter Sophia in 2021, Finlayson has become a prominent advocate for bowel cancer awareness in Australia.
Now 30, she has outlived her original prognosis by three years and continues intensive treatment, including chemotherapy every three weeks and daily medication.
Despite setbacks, such as the cancer spreading to her lungs and enduring seven failed IVF transfers, she remains determined to live fully. She credits Sophia as her greatest motivation, saying her daughter’s presence pushes her to keep fighting even on the hardest days.
Finlayson describes herself as “one of the lucky ones” because her treatment continues to work, and she has chosen to focus on a “living list” rather than a bucket list. She keeps conversations about her illness separate from family life, preferring home to be a place of normalcy.
Her mission now is to use her experience to encourage younger Australians to take their health seriously and seek medical advice when something feels wrong.
While she admits there are difficult days, she remains committed to making the most of her time, believing her resilience can inspire others to find strength in adversity.
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