When Geoff and Jane Cohn were diagnosed with cancer, they were already juggling busy lives, family responsibilities and caring for ageing parents.
For Geoff, his colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2023 came after months of symptoms and was followed by radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery.
Then, in early 2025, Jane was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram.
While both were navigating their own cancer experiences, they found support and connection through Cancer Council WA’s Life Now program.
They began attending Life Now courses while Geoff was undergoing treatment, starting with Meditation and Mindfulness before going on to try Tai Chi, Yoga, the Gym program and more recently Mindful Art.
Jane initially attended as a support person and then as a cancer patient herself.
Geoff and Jane said the courses gave them an opportunity to focus on something outside of cancer, while meeting other people who understood what they were going through.
“One of the main benefits for both of us was that feeling that we were part of a community, that there were like-minded people who had shared similar experiences,” Geoff said.
Jane said the connections they made through Life Now had become an important part of their lives.
“The courses that we’ve done and the people that we’ve met have really expanded our lives, and we’re grateful for that,” she said.
For both of them, Mindful Art was an unexpected highlight.
Neither he nor Jane considered themselves artists, but they quickly became absorbed in the activity.
“For that hour and a half, we were completely absorbed mindfully into something,” Geoff said
We weren’t thinking about our medical journey or any of the worries that we had at the time. We were totally immersed in what we were doing. . It also made us realise that you do not need to be talented at something to get a benefit from it, we both want to continue with some form of creative art in the future.
Geoff encourages anyone considering a Life Now course to give it a try.
“They have all been great and worth trying – the instructors are universally fabulous,” he said.
“You get to try something new, you get to meet people and, for that period of time, you’re not thinking about everything else that’s going on.”
Today, Geoff and Jane continue to make use of the skills and connections they gained through Life Now.
For them, the program has been about more than learning new practices. It has given them a chance to, connect with others and make space for themselves.
Find support through Life Now
Our Life Now program offers free courses designed to support the wellbeing of people affected by cancer and their primary carers.
Courses include Exercise, Meditation, Mindfulness, Mindful Art, Tai Chi and Yoga, with options available across Western Australia and online.
