Amazing Race Australia winners Heath Curry and Toni Hilland have shared a devastating development in Hilland’s battle with metastatic breast cancer.
Hilland, who is also mum to a one-year old Amelia, has posted on the couple’s shared Instagram page to tell fans that she is off the clinical trial she started in December 2023 because: “it’s not working/disease progression is too much.”
“Another lifeline gone. My heart is breaking,” she wrote.
The pair who won series 6 of the Amazing Race in 2022, competed knowing that Hilland had terminal cancer and only had a limited time left.
But winning $250,000 has seen the couple tick off a long bucket list of holidays with family and friends over the last two years as well as have a baby via a surrogate in April 2023.
Hilland and Curry are currently home in Melbourne and, after being taken off the trial Hilland said she started a standard treatment on September 25.
“I started having bad headaches, nausea, vomiting etc. Friday-Saturday (I’m usually asymptomatic) and I’ve been admitted to Peter Mac. They’ve done a CT and MRI and they think it’s an immune response or side effect to the new drug,” she shared alongside of a photo of her in a hospital bed smiling and with her thumb up.
“Now just waiting on what is next… I’m feeing all the feels – so scared, anxious, worried for the future, missing out so much with Amelia and Heath (my world), questions of how many lifelines are left for me, how long do I have left…?!!”
The 41-year old, who has always approached her diagnosis with a glass-half full attitude, finished her post on a positive note.
“But I know that I’m in the best possible hands and have a great team here. We also have a fantastic VILLAGE of family/friends and there are OPTIONS.”
Hilland was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 at the age of 31, with no family history of the disease.
“I found a lump in my left breast as I was putting on my sports bra,” Hilland told Breast Cancer Network Australia. “My family and friends told me there would be nothing to worry about but, following a mammogram and ultrasound, I was told I had breast cancer – my world was turned upside down.”
In 2021 Toni’s cancer returned as metastatic – which means treatable but life-limiting. She and Curry decided to live their life to the full and go on The Amazing Race Australia, becoming fast favourites with audiences.
Following their win, brain scans revealed the cancer had spread to Hilland’s brain but a clinical trial hoped to buy her more time.
“I want to seize each and every day and try not to stress about the small stuff, and most of it is small really,” she said. “You should all grasp every day like it could be your last and enjoy life.”
She also shared positive news with her fans in early 2023 announcing she and Curry were expecting.
“We are PREGNANT!!” she wrote on Instagram. “Baby girl Curry is due on the 9th April!! 2022 was a big, huge, AMAZING year for us, but we know 2023 is going to be the best yet!”
Explaining how it happened she shared photos of her friend and surrogate.
“When I was diagnosed with terminal cancer – our IVF/fertility ‘journey’ came to an end…but out of the blue we had the most beautiful, selfless, kind offer from a friend to be our surrogate. We only had 1 precious embryo and it bloody well worked!! We will never be able to thank you enough!”
