Sarah Donnelly: How work kept me going during my cancer treatment
سارة دونلي: كيف استطاع العمل مساعدتي خلال فترة علاجي من السرطان
Westpac's Sarah Donnelly wants to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment for serious illnesses. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
from my doctor's office
in my lunch break, and my doctor said
الغداء، وقالت لي الطبيبة
that I had breast cancer.
بأنني مصابة بسرطان الثدي.
and at first, I didn't.
and I needed some evidence.
وبحاجة إلى بعض الأدلة.
to where she was sitting
حيث كانت تجلس
over her shoulder and verify
on the page in front of her.
to believe it, I said,
you're sure that means cancer?"
هل أنت متأكدة أن هذا يعني سرطان؟"
the urgent things that needed to be done
المُستعجلة التي يجب عملها
to see if my cancer had spread.
لمعرفة إن كان السرطان قد انتشر.
work wasn't my priority.
to tell my family and friends
and whether I was going to be OK,
to start a family.
how I was going to tell my mother,
when she was pregnant with me.
الثدي حينما كانت حبلى بي.
to have to relive her cancer experience.
a huge role in my treatment and recovery.
واستردادي للعافية.
otherwise felt like a statistic.
بأنني رقم في إحصائية.
that would give me routine and stability
والاستقرار
difficult personal decisions
من القرارات الشخصية الصعبة
reconstruction I was going to have.
to my family and friends for support.
وأصدقائي من أجل الدعم.
in my day-to-day life.
the ones to make me laugh.
of really good in-jokes,
someone ask me
of course, a wig,
in the mornings very easy.
I appreciated what their support meant,
كنت أقدر ما يعنيه دعمهم،
have done without that network.
women in particular,
النساء تحديداً،
to have that network
لتكون لديهم بيئة مماثلة
the opportunity to work through treatment.
للعمل خلال فترة العلاج.
to overly paternalistic employers.
للأبوية المُفرطة لأرباب العمل.
and focus on yourself.
أن تختلي بنفسك بعيداً وتركز على نفسك.
are well-meaning,
that they couldn’t or shouldn't work,
لا يمكن أو لا يجب عليهم العمل،
and physically can do.
what an employer is required to do
من صاحب العمل فعله
with a cancer diagnosis.
cancer is considered a disability.
الأسترالي، يعتبر السرطان إعاقة.
your usual work duties,
على أداء مهامك اليومية الاعتيادية،
by the Disability Discrimination Act
ضد ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة
to your working arrangements,
adjustments look like for me?
my diagnosis was going to have on work.
على سير العمل
during business hours,
to recover from surgical procedures.
للتعافي من العمليات الجراحية.
on what to expect from treatment.
أثناء فترة العلاج.
was through Doctor Google,
and I wouldn't recommend that.
for all the physical side effects,
الأعراض الجانبية الجسدية،
was this thing called chemo brain.
الذي يُدعى الدماغ الكيميائي.
through memory loss,
my job as a lawyer.
have a discussion with my manager
to my working arrangements
لترتيبات العمل الخاص بي
how I was going to be impacted?
تأثير المرض علي؟
a supportive manager
how things went as we went along,
تسير الأمور في العمل،
a concrete plan up front.
he may not have even known
of reasonable adjustments,
common sense to everyone.
ليس الحل المنطقي للجميع.
will learn how it impacts them
that I learned about the treatment itself,
وحيل التي تعلمتها عن العلاج،
you're really well hydrated
the nurses to find your veins.
في العثور على أوردتك.
any of your favorite food,
throwing that up
want to look at it again.
for managing my workflow.
سير العمل الخاص بي.
on a Monday morning.
ليوم الاثنين الصباح.
I left the cancer care unit,
وحدة علاج السرطان،
before this fog screen would come down
قبل أن أفقد الوعي
and make any urgent calls.
بريدي الإلكتروني وعمل أي مكالمات ضرورية.
within about 48 hours.
into work from home.
and I knew what to expect.
with my business partners
معقولة مع شركائي في العمل
the hesitation in their voices
by a certain time.
of setting a good deadline.
to put any extra pressure on me
وضع ضغوط إضافية علي
within my control
that could stay in my control
things that couldn't.
should be applying this concept
يجب أن يطبقوا هذا المفهوم
in our current age,
في أستراليا، رجالًا و نساءً
by the age of 85.
longer and longer into older age,
while we're in the workforce
خلال عملك تزداد.
to work anywhere, any time,
من العمل من أي مكان، في أي وقت،
are no longer contingent upon
to physically make it
استراحة أكبر
or a comfier chair to sit in,
قد تكون جيدة أيضاً.
the flexibility policies and strategies
سياسات واستراتيجيات مرنة،
with family responsibilities.
الذين لديهم مسؤوليات عائلية.
are even having a conversation
might look like for them
until you're better."
with their employees.
from working through treatment,
to guide these conversations,
لتوجيه هذه المحادثات،
colleague of mine, Camilla Gunn,
for those diagnosed,
هؤلاء الذين تم تشخيصهم بالسرطان،
and their coworkers
المهني وزملائهم في العمل
and the work support available.
والدعم المتوفر من العمل.
to other organizations
some pretty awkward conversations.
of the toolkit is increasing.
أن الإقبال على الأداة في ازدياد.
a manager's first response
how it's going to impact their work?
are able, and want to,
an arrangement for you
people with serious illness
أن ينخرطوا بشكل إيجابي في الأمراض الخطيرة
pushing them away.
because I want you to know the benefits
أريد منكم أن تعلموا ما استفدته
going through treatment
الشخص الذي يخضع للعلاج
were true some of the time,
to push myself at work
because my employer gave me the choice.
مديري أعطاني الخيار.
obvious choice to give someone,
offered or encouraged.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarah Donnelly - LawyerWestpac's Sarah Donnelly wants to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment for serious illnesses.
Why you should listen
Sarah Donnelly was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30 years of age -- a story all too familiar among young women in her family. She chose to continue full-time employment throughout treatment and is living proof that work can play a crucial role in a person's mental and physical recovery from a serious illness. While her employer backed her decision, Donnelly has learned that the way organizations approach this issue varies greatly. This has sparked a personal mission to encourage more open conversations about why and how an individual might continue to work while undergoing treatment.
A lawyer by trade, Donnelly is currently the Head of Group Secretariat at Westpac. She is an ally for GLOBAL, Westpac Group's Employee Action Group for LGBTIQ employees, a member of Women of Westpac, an advocate of Breast Cancer Network Australia and volunteers with Vinnie’s Van. She is an avid traveler and, when at home in Sydney's Blue Mountains, can usually be found out on a trail.
Sarah Donnelly | Speaker | TED.com