Reflecting on her sister’s journey, Buchanan said it started when they were both contacted by a female cousin in 2022, informing them that she had tested positive for a mutated BRCA2 gene.

The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are found in everyone and are normally expressed in cells of the breasts and other tissue, where they help repair damaged DNA. But they can mutate and increase the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

Buchanan said as soon as her sister heard the news, she decided to get tested – which found she also had a BRCA2 gene mutation.

“She went and had an MRI and that’s when they found the cancer in her breast,” she said.

“She wasn’t taking any chances, she had a mastectomy and of course she was so devastated by that because she had a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old at the time.”

Many women who test positive for the gene mutation opt to remove their breasts, which reduces the risk of developing cancer by 95%.

“She did everything that she could. She had radiation, chemotherapy,” Buchanan said.

Cancer was found in a couple of her lymph nodes on her right side, which were subsequently removed.

Buchanan said Kendal was cleared after that, until the beginning of 2024 when she had a big seizure at work.

“She had been having migraines for a long time so she went and saw her GP … That’s when she was diagnosed with brain cancer.”

An encapsulated tumour was found, which she had surgery to remove before having radiation therapy on her brain.

“A few weeks ago she was feeling really rubbish and she thought it was just from the radiation, so they did a scan and saw the cancer was just all over her brain,” Buchanan said.

She said the cancer was over the meninges – the layers of membranes that cover and protect your brain and spinal cord.

Kendal went to the specialist last Monday, where she was told she had two months to live.

“But it’s been one week and she’s definitely going to die in the next couple of days. She’s deteriorated a lot.”

She said Kendal, who turned 34 at the beginning of October, had been “amazing” through her two-year journey and “really wanted to fight for her kids”.

“She told her son and daughter, ‘I’m fighting so hard for you and mummy is not going to give up … I’m going to do everything I can to fight this’.”

Her mother described her as “our Wahine Toa warrior woman”.

A Givealittle fundraiser set up for Kendal and her children’s day-to-day expenses said the BRCA2 gene had “cursed” the family.

“Unfortunately Kendal has been told she’s terminal. At this point we just want to support the kids,” the page read.

Buchanan said her sister has lived for her two young children – Ezra, 8, and Koen, 5 – and everything she did was to give them a good experience.

At the beginning of this year, Kendal took to social media reflecting on the past 12 months, saying; “I did go through a lot.

“From operations, procedures, infections, hematoma, chemo, radiation, skin change, body change (inside and out), lack of energy levels, bone density infusion, menopause and I couldn’t count the hospital visits I’ve been to – all while raising two beautiful tiny humans,” the post read.

“So this year I’m not surviving. This year’s about living.”

Reflecting on her sister’s life, Buchanan said she loved skulls – which was uncanny as she was destined to die around Halloween.

“She’s always, always been into skulls and coffins and death and all that kind of stuff. She’s very much that kind of girl. And now that she’s passing away around Halloween, it’s very fitting for her.”

She described Kendal as someone who “just loved to be with her friends and family”.

Kendal’s journey had been “really rough” on her cousins – a lot of them have also tested positive for the BRCA2 gene.

“It’s very terrifying for them that they’re potentially going to have to go through this. We’ve already lost so many of our family members young.

“Not just the people that are positive, because we love them. It’s our siblings, cousins, aunties and uncles that have to fight this gene now that they’ve watched Kendal suffer.”

Buchanan said her sister had been in an inpatient hospice unit in Auckland for the past three days, surrounded by friends and family.

“The last few weeks everybody has been there for her. All our cousins far and wide have travelled and spent time with her.”

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.

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