Nicole Perko's desperate plea to Barry O'Farrell

Mum Nicole Perko here with daughter Evie 1, Beau 11 and Jai 9, has been waiting for six months for lifesaving peritonectomy surgery

Here is a letter from Nicole Perko, thanking me for signing her petition. She's a young mother of five who needs urgent cancer treatment and can't get it. And our NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell could fix it with a stroke of the pen.   just click here to share the petition on Facebook. 

I first saw the petition on Tuesday morning. When I saw that thousands of people had signed it, I really couldn't believe it. I keep checking it to see the numbers of people signing it. I'm overwhelmed and so thankful for every one of you.

 I have five little ones. It breaks my heart looking at them now, and knowing that I might not be there to see them growing up; to see my beautiful one-year-old Evie's wedding.

I've written a number of times to the the Health Minister. Still they can't give me a straight answer on why there's such a delay - and how they're allowing people to wait until they face death on this surgery waiting list. And I'm becoming more and more terrified that I might be next if they don't start moving faster.

 I want to try and deliver the petition personally to Barry O'Farrell soon - but if we can get more signatures I think it'll help show him the community is behind us on this one. Can you forward this email to some friends and family now to ask them to sign the petition at change.org/savenicole -- and share it also on Facebook? Click here to share.

Knowing that this surgery could give me a 97% chance of surviving this dreadful cancer is the most frustrating part of it all. The surgeon is even ready. All the government needs to do is find another surgery place or fix whatever the log-jam is preventing people getting surgery. What kind of health system do we have if people are waiting so long for surgery that they're now likely to die because of the wait?

For starting this petition and helping share it, I'll always be thankful for Sam McCauley and Charlotte Dawson. And I'd thank every one of you -- all 42,000+ of you -- personally if I could. Can you help share this petition asking the Health Minister and Premier O'Farrell to fix the waiting list preventing me getting the surgery I urgently need?I'm not asking to jump the queue or get special treatment. That'll just leave someone else -- and their family -- in the exact same position as ours is in. We need to fix the excessive waiting times that's preventing me and about 40 others getting the surgery we need.Thank you all for your support.Nicole Perko

Edit 18 October 2013:   It worked, Nicole and others waiting with the same cancer will now get their operations.  The complex peritonectomy procedure will be undertaken at Prince of Wales Hospital to allow more patients to be treated sooner, Health Minister Jillian Skinner said.  Liberal Premier O'Farrell should be disgusted with himself, for allowing this situation to happen at all.

Edit 18 October 2013: