Cancer survivor Madison Purkis pushes for government medical crisis payments for young
Brisbane university student Madison Purkis was just 19 when she started experiencing severe back pain.
“There could be a flare-up and it could put a pretty heavy strain on my spine,” he explains. “Those times were hell.”
Purkis, then a student, was living on the Australian National University campus and surviving on a shoestring budget.
While doctors and hospital staff ignored his pain, he spent what little money he had on painkillers and narcotics.
“I had so many people tell me it was all in my head,” he says. “[The hospital] He gave me valium and sent me home the whole time.”
Unable to afford a visit to a specialist, Purkis’ unexplained pain continued until her mother insisted on making an appointment with her family doctor.
“I had tests, a CT scan, and within two days I was in the hospital for a biopsy, trying to find out what type of cancer I had,” she says.
“People often ask what it was like to receive a cancer diagnosis, and the strange thing was that it was comforting.”
A month before his 20th birthday, Purkis was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in bones or soft tissue.
Because the cancer had spread to his spine, he could not undergo surgery and was instead treated with high doses of chemotherapy drugs.
“Fun fact is that in my lifetime I have had three of the most difficult chemotherapies available,” he says.
“They work very hard against this type of cancer because there’s only one treatment, and if the cancer comes back and becomes resistant to that treatment, there’s really nothing they can do.”
Purkis lived in Melbourne for a year while receiving treatment. His accommodation was covered by the Sony Foundation, but he says the ongoing financial burden of his health has been challenging for the last two years.
“The way I try to explain it is that geriatric drug expenses were brought into my 20s, and normally at this stage of life you have retirement savings… but I’m woefully underprepared,” he said.
Research into the cost of cancer care in Queensland It found that being diagnosed between ages 15 and 24 places a significant burden on the healthcare system, cancer survivors, and their families. It is estimated that patients contribute up to 26 percent of the total.
Out-of-pocket expenses have the biggest impact on young people with low incomes, who are at risk of reduced life expectancy and worse health outcomes.
A. 2025 Cancer Council survey It found that almost all Australians diagnosed with cancer incur out-of-pocket expenses, mostly from lost income, surgical expenses and insurance gap payments, even when accessing public healthcare.
Purkis transferred his healthcare experience to a project medical crisis payment campaignlike other government crisis payments.
He says the scheme will target young people leaving hospital at a time when it could cause sudden financial hardship for people as they return to their daily lives.
“This payment will ensure young people have access to the specialist appointments and preventative care they need, making a significant difference to the lives of those trying to rebuild their health and stability,” Purkis says in his campaign manifesto.
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