"It is hard to watch. Sometimes in the mornings I know she's in pain, she tries to hold it in but then she will burst into tears.
"She is so strong and I would love to see her cry from happiness instead of pain and sadness. Please, please, please."
These heart-rending words are spoken by Levin woman Aimee Avery. A staffer at the town's Subway fast food outlet, Avery is describing store manager Alison Douglas, a 43-year-old solo mum of three boys who has been dealt some cruel blows in recent years.
Diagnosed with cancer in her shoulder two years ago, Douglas had no sooner been cleared of that when the disease struck again, this time in her left eye.
Despite living in frequent pain, putting up with blurred vision (she is constantly seeing three black dots) and undergoing radiation treatment, Douglas continues to work, often over long hours - recently doing close to a 16 hour day after opening the store at 6.30am and working on until 10pm.
Her story so touched Avery - "she's such an inspiration" - she successfully nominated her for an ASB Good as Gold award, the bank giving Douglas $10,000 to help in her battle against the eye cancer.
"She has no family in Levin apart from her sons," says Avery. "She works hard to keep Subway up to speed so no one has to work late. I would just love for her to get some amazing karma in her life she deserves it so much."
"Many times I've come in and she's cried right in front of me. We all wish she wouldn't (work the long hours) but even when she's in pain she just pushes on, it makes me want to give her a big hug. She's amazing, there are no excuses for us."
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ASB regional manager Amanda Young says her resilience and positivity in the face of adversity is an inspiration to all those who know her.
"Despite all the challenges facing her, Alison continues to put her family, friends and colleagues first which is a real credit to her," Young says. "We hope ASB's Good as Gold contribution of $10,000 will provide some relief and give her an opportunity to focus on her own health and wellbeing."
Douglas says having a routine puts her mind onto something different. "I love my job, Subway has been my life, I give it my heart and soul. If someone on the staff can't do their shift for any reason, I'll cover for them and do it myself.
"I don't know how I do it but I'm not one to sit and ponder. When I don't have the boys (they live some of the time with their father) I prefer to work. If I stop and hit a brick wall is when my emotions catch up."
Douglas says she enjoys being a role model for her staff: "It's a bit like a mothering role, I'm double the age of most of them; they call me Aunty Ally, they're my Subway family, I would do anything for them."
Moving to New Zealand from Australia 20 years ago Douglas has been working for Subway for 14 years, all of that time in Levin apart from a period when she lived in Wellington.
Then, 10 years ago, she separated from her husband and ever since has brought up their three sons - aged 16, 12 and 10 - largely alone.
After being cleared of the cancer in her shoulder Douglas was distraught when she began having problems with vision in her left eye late last year.
"It started just after Christmas," she says. "My vision was blurry and at first I put it on the back-burner. But when three or four weeks later I began seeing black dots I went to the doctor."
After undergoing tests Douglas received the bad news and now faces an uncertain future: "It's scary and I don't know if it's going to be cured; I live in constant pain but I'm the world's worst patient and hate taking medication yet I'll take it three or four times a week because without it I can't work."
Forced to take large chunks of time off during treatment for the shoulder cancer, Douglas is worried she will be placed under more financial strain if she has to do so again.
Although she travels 50km to nearby Palmerston North for treatment, she says she has so far not had to take much time off work.
"My boss (the store owner) and all the staff have been brilliant," she says. "They are behind me 100 per cent of the way, they offer to take me for treatment and I know if I needed more time off I would be given it, he's one of the best bosses I've ever had.
"At the end of the day I'm just an ordinary person who does work that needs to be done. What you put in you'll always get back."