Stitched Up is a powerful, deeply personal story of survival, resilience and advocacy.
For more than three decades, award-winning advocate Kath Mazzella has lived with the lifelong physical and emotional impacts of vulval cancer—an illness that remains one of the least understood and least talked about cancers affecting women. In Stitched Up, Kath courageously shares her journey through diagnosis, radical surgery, loss, recovery, and the determination to transform her pain into purpose.
With honesty, warmth and moments of unexpected humour, Kath exposes the silence and stigma surrounding vulval cancer while challenging the misconceptions that leave too many women unaware of the signs and too afraid to seek help. Her story is not only one of survival but of hope, education and empowerment.
Stitched Up is a call to break the silence, use the right words, have the difficult conversations, and ensure no woman feels alone in her experience. Whether you are a woman, a family member, a healthcare professional or simply someone who believes every story matters, this book will leave you informed, inspired and determined to help change the conversation.
Because awareness saves lives—and silence never should.
“I took my stand, seeking justice. The battle raged—and I emerged
both loser and victor.”
I couldn’t switch it off. Injustice sat on my chest like a weight, a television
left blaring in an empty room. The same scenes looped, and I knew that if I
didn’t act—if I didn’t at least try—I would never be free of them.
Women’s letters had already shown me how often we live with invisible
tape pressed over our mouths. Suffocated by silence. I refused to wear it any
longer. I would pull the tape off, even if it took skin with it
Chapter 9, Time for Accountability, P33 Stitched Up
Writing this book was the most prolific experience, as I delved into the psyche of one of Australia’s most iconic and leading voices in Gynaeocological Health promotion from a Lived Experience perspective, Mrs Kath Mazzella OAM.
Her tenacity inspired me. Her indominatable spirit, in the face of so much opposition makes her a modern day heroine.
I will never forget Kath’s willingness to interrogate her experience, supported by the belief that sharing is caring and enables healing. Thank you for this gift to the world, Kath.
Hayley Solich, Author, Stitched Up
Cost: $19.99US from Books.by.
Coming to Amazon Kindle in September 2026.