In 2012, Jan Neville was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer known as acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APML).
Flown hundreds of kilometres from her hometown of Hopetoun, in north-west Victoria, to Geelong, the grandmother underwent six months of treatment including cytotoxic therapy and then intense arsenic therapy, which made her hair fall out.
"While she was in hospital it was pretty intense," said Ms Neville's grandson Darcy Hogan.
"I remember the first couple of times going to see her and she was undergoing treatments and her body couldn't fight off things so we had to wear masks.
"Being 10 or 11 at the time, it was pretty confronting seeing Gran like that."
With the support of family, the Leukaemia Foundation and the Geelong Hospital, Ms Neville made a full recovery and this year marked more than a decade since her initial diagnosis.
She also celebrated her 80th birthday.
Family shaving ceremony
To celebrate the occasion, her family decided to take part in the World's Greatest Shave, a community event to raise money for people experiencing blood cancers and to fund research into a cure.
"For a start, it was just going to be me and my cousin Tim," Mr Hogan said. "And then we thought why not ask all the cousins to have a go."
"Everyone committed and we ended up getting seven male cousins, two of my female cousins' partners, one of my uncles, which is Gran's son Ricky, and all 10 of us shaved our heads for cancer."
The shaving ceremony was held in the central location of Swan Hill in north-west Victoria last Sunday, with 37 family members travelling from Melbourne, Mildura, Bendigo, Hopetoun, Geelong and Horsham to take part.
The family hoped to raise at least $3,000 but soon exceeded expectations, and has so far amassed more than $12,500 in donations.
After initially not wanting to celebrate her birthday, Ms Neville said she was very proud of the effort her family had made.
"All I wanted was for all our family to get together and it has just worked out great," she said.
"They have done a good job organising to have their heads shaved and the amount of money they have raised is absolutely wonderful."
Less than 100 cases of APML are diagnosed in Australia each year.
Since the World's Greatest Shave began 25 years ago, more than 2 million people have participated, with an estimated 37,500 kilograms of hair removed.
Off with the mullet
Before signing up, Tim Neville had been growing a mullet for three years, which he said began as a "family joke".
"Mum said that I wouldn't dare grow a mullet for my sister's wedding and it started there and I just kept on growing and growing it.
"I will miss the hair, 100 per cent, I already feel it is a bit cold but it is for a good cause."
He said it meant a lot to the family to be able to mark his grandmother's cancer recovery.
"She is the person I look up to," Tim Neville said.
"She has been through so much in her life and it doesn't matter what happens she is always there and making sure everyone is having a good time and bringing everyone together."
Ms Neville said she was touched by the love her family members had shown by shaving their heads.
"It just makes me cry all the time because it is really wonderful," she said.
"They all look beautiful now, they really do!"
