Kiwi Mom Turns Terminal Illness Into Inspiring Reset Guide

When Fleur Marks coughed up blood during a French vineyard marathon at 39, she assumed it was red wine and kept running. That decision to push through almost cost the New Zealand mom everything.

Doctors diagnosed her with stage-four sarcoidosis, a rare autoimmune disease that attacks multiple organs. They weren't sure she'd reach 40.

Before her diagnosis, Fleur had built an impressive advertising career, leading global brands and jetting between New York, London, and Asia. The glamorous expat life in Singapore came with a hidden cost: she was never home.

Her five-year-old daughter's innocent question changed everything. "When can I have my mummy back?" Isabella asked, delivering what Fleur calls a gut punch.

Even after relocating to Australia for a less demanding role, chronic stress had already taken its toll. Fleur couldn't finish a sentence without coughing blood.

Nothing worked. While most sarcoidosis patients respond to treatment, Fleur endured 23 rounds of chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, and immunotherapy. The family lost their fancy cars and house when she couldn't work for 18 months.

Determined to reclaim her old life, Fleur returned to work while still in treatment. "I was kind of in denial for a few years, thinking I could overachieve my way out of this," she admits.

Then in 2015, the disease spread to her brain. Fleur realized she'd lost everything chasing success, and all she truly wanted was 24 hours in a healthy body.

Two years later, a routine mammogram revealed breast cancer. Standing alone on a beach, Fleur made a deal with the universe: let her stay long enough to see her children grow up, and she'd help others avoid her fate.

Why This Inspires

That promise became "The Overachiever's Reset," Fleur's new book sharing hard-won lessons about burnout, perfectionism, and sustainable success. At 55, she's now a leadership coach helping others recognize the warning signs she ignored.

"I am still in the waiting room of death," Fleur says honestly. In December 2024, doctors found a second primary breast cancer in her other breast.

But by prioritizing purpose-driven work and family time over corporate climbing, she's also the happiest she's ever been. Her Ngāti Kauwhata and Ngāti Kuia heritage taught her resilience; her illness taught her wisdom.

Her husband Pete and now-grown children Isabella and Luca have watched her transform crisis into calling. Every day together feels precious because they know it truly is.

Fleur's message resonates because it's real: we're not invincible, and realizing that might just save your life.