A fit and active 35-year-old with two children — Ryan, 6, and Meg, 4 — the prognosis from a doctor on February 3 that she was suffering an oligodendroglioma tumour of the brain has shaken the very foundations of her life.

An oligodendroglioma tumour is slow-growing, with doctors believing that it may have started emerging in Kelli’s brain when she was as young as eight.

However, Kelli was mainly unaware of its presence, continuing her sporting career with netball clubs Lavington and the Murray Magpies.

It was only in the past year when the tumour began taking a hold.

“I had been feeling a bit crook for about five years with pain in my neck, back and right side and a lot of pressure headaches,” she said.

“About halfway through last year, I started getting worse and would be vomiting and then I passed out at home twice.”

Kelli went to hospital and said she received various tests.

She was seen by a locum and he suggested she had a scan of the brain.

“If it wasn’t for that doctor, I don’t know how long it might have been before it was discovered,” she said.

“It was just lucky for me that I saw that doctor and he thought a scan might reveal something.”

Kelli was told she had a tumour and at the insistence of her and her mother, Wendy, she was flown to Melbourne to get treatment at the Epworth Hospital with leading Australian surgeon Chris Thian.

He operated the following Tuesday and was able to remove most of the tumour, but a small portion which is near the area of the brain which affects the speech remains.

Kelli will return to the doctor in May to see whether chemotherapy or radiotherapy will be the best course of action to remove it.

Now back on the Border, Kelli is being cared for by her family, including sister Leigh, of Ulladulla, who is living with Kelli and her children and taking care of the everyday running of the household.