The wife of Sydney Swans premiership hero Jude Bolton has delivered an emotional and deeply personal update as she continues her battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer.
Television personality Lynette Bolton revealed the toll of chemotherapy in a candid video, telling followers it was time to take a confronting next step.
‘I have to shave my head today,’ she said.
‘My friend Marie brought me over a KFC bucket so I can wear that on my hair. Thanks, babe. It’s really patchy, like it’s really, really patchy.
‘And it hurts,’ she said through a veil of tears.
‘It hurts to touch … and it just comes out. I don’t know if you can see that … it just comes out from touching it. It’s time to go.’
Lynette Bolton revealed emotional details of her cancer treatment, including shaving her head as chemotherapy side effects intensified
The wife of Jude Bolton shared a candid video showing the toll of aggressive breast cancer treatment
Lynette explained her hair loss after chemotherapy, saying the treatment known as the Red Devil had finally taken hold
Lynette began chemotherapy six days before Christmas after being diagnosed, later explaining the treatment – nicknamed the ‘Red Devil’ – had finally taken hold.
‘They say that (the hair) usually goes after the second, two or three weeks, after starting the Red Devil, and that’s where I’m at, so I was expecting it,’ she said.
‘The Red Devil has claimed it.’
Despite the physical changes, Lynette said the moment carried a deeper emotional weight.
‘And I’ve felt good,’ she said.
‘I haven’t felt like a cancer patient yet, and I feel this will be the thing that does it.’
In a separate post, she shared a photo of herself with her head shaved as she kissed her husband, alongside a message that quickly spread across social media.
‘Choose your partner as if your life depends on it … Because one day it might,’ she wrote.
Lynette posted a message about choosing your partner carefully, reflecting on the support she receives during her illness
Lynette spoke about the loneliness of cancer, despite being surrounded by people and support throughout her ongoing treatment
The image prompted widespread reaction, with one supporter writing: ‘Some photos actually capture a million words. This is one of them x.’
Another added: ‘This photo says a thousand words – simply beautiful.’
Lynette, a Sydney-born freelance wedding and event producer currently working towards launching her own events business, has documented her journey publicly in recent months.
Speaking earlier this year, she addressed the emotional isolation that can come with the diagnosis.
‘We’re not unique, lots of people are going through it,’ she said.
‘I’m really trying to stay positive and what I love, the people going through the same thing – I just want them to understand that this can be quite a lonely thing, even if you are surrounded by people, so I really do appreciate the people that we have connected with and just let them know that we’re here for you as well.’
Jude Bolton, who played 325 games for Sydney and was part of the club’s 2005 and 2012 premierships, said he had been overwhelmed by his wife’s response and the support around them.
‘We’ve all been involved with charities across the time but your world just gets shaken when it’s one of your partners, and it’s ‘wow, where do start from here’,’ he said.
‘You look at Lynette, and the way she just shows up and the stories that have come out, people saying I’m two weeks behind you, I don’t know what’s happened, the world feels like it’s been pulled from underneath me – and she’s been there for them as well.’
The couple, who have two daughters, continue to receive messages of support as Lynette shares updates from her treatment.
