Home and Away star Alea O’Shea, who played Darcy Callahan on the iconic soap, has shared a positive health update less than a year after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
Late last year, Alea revealed that found out about the diagnosis following a biopsy on her 25th birthday. She initially noticed something was wrong with her smile and had difficulty speaking.
Following the diagnosis, she underwent six weeks of radiation and oral chemotherapy, as well as surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible.
Since then, the actress said life has started to return to normal, and she even attended the red carpet premiere of Prime Video’s Elle series.
“I’m going pretty well,” she said.
“I’ve definitely stabilised a lot in the past few months, which has been incredible.
“I’m so grateful to be able to come to these things again.”
Following her diagnosis, fans of the show and the community rallied together to help her and her family with the “financial burden” of fighting cancer, raising $100,000 in the hope that that she would get better.
According to the Cancer Council, the average age of brain cancer diagnosis in Australia is 59, with an estimated 2,098 new cases diagnosed last year, with around 24 per cent of patients surviving past the five-year mark.
There were also 1,639 deaths from the cancer in 2025, according to Cancer Australia.
The actress also took the time to give back to those battling cancer, starting her own foundation called Because I Ceare.
The foundation helps those going through hair loss as a result of cancer treatment to secure quality wigs, which often cost up to $2,000 or more.
“Because I Ceare is going well,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.
“We have five girls who have wigs now, and I’m just waiting on them all to send me pictures.”
“But it’s so incredible, like genuinely being able to do a small part to change their experiences and make it more positive, I’m just grateful to be able to help, to be able to be here and to connect with everyone again.
“Honestly, connecting with these girls has filled my cup as well. It’s not just about me to them; it’s them to me. It’s just a really, really positive echo chamber.”
Image: Instagram
