Community Story: Five surgeries, one app and starting again at 42

by THOLEditor | Nov 11, 2026 | Business, Features

By Abby Bookholt, founder of Trove. Edited for length and clarity.

If you’d told me two years ago that I’d be spending my forties recovering from skin cancer, having my nose reconstructed and launching my own app, I probably would have laughed and asked what on earth you’d been drinking.

Yet here we are.

I’m Abby, a 42-year-old Australian, mum of two boys aged nine and six, and I’ve been living in the Netherlands for 18 years. That is long enough to complain about Dutch weather like a local, but apparently not long enough to stop missing Australian sunshine.

For most of my working life I was firmly in the corporate world, most recently in crisis management. I was used to dealing with complicated situations and keeping things moving. What I wasn’t prepared for was becoming the crisis myself.

The tiny spot that changed everything

In 2025, I was diagnosed with skin cancer on my nose. Something so small became a series of operations to remove the cancer and reconstruct part of my nose using skin from my forehead.

I underwent four surgeries, followed by a fifth operation in September 2026 to improve the reconstruction and scarring. The physical recovery was difficult, but the emotional side was something I hadn’t anticipated.

Your face is a huge part of your identity. Suddenly I was dealing with stitches, scars, swelling and a reflection that didn’t always feel like mine. There were days when I felt positive, and others when I was exhausted and thoroughly over the experience.

I started sharing my recovery on Instagram because I wanted people to see the reality, including everything between the before-and-after photographs.

An idea that would not go away

During recovery, I began thinking more seriously about the next chapter of my working life. I also had an idea that had been floating around in my head.

People were always recommending books, television programmes, films, podcasts and music. I would save a screenshot, bookmark something or tell myself I would remember. Spoiler alert: I usually didn’t.

I wanted one place to save those recommendations, organise them and find them again when I needed them. That idea became Trove.

There was one small problem: I knew nothing about building an app. I had no coding experience, no technology background and no previous start-up. But I did have an idea I believed in and a willingness to learn.

I registered my business in the Netherlands, invested my savings and worked with developers. There were delays, unexpected costs, technical problems and moments when I wondered whether I had completely lost my mind.

In August 2026, Trove launched on iOS and Android. Something that had existed only in my imagination was available for other people to download.

The reality of starting again

I would love to say I launched the app and immediately found thousands of subscribers. The reality is less glamorous. I am still learning how to market it, attract users and improve the experience, while trying to make every euro count.

Some weeks are encouraging. Other weeks make me wonder whether I should have taken up knitting instead. But I am proud that I actually did it.

I never wanted skin cancer to become my entire identity. It is something that happened to me and changed me, but it is not the whole story.

Progress can mean getting through another operation, finding the confidence to show your face again or trying something new without knowing how it will turn out.

I’m still recovering, still learning and still figuring out what I want the next chapter of my life to look like. You do not need to have your whole life figured out before you start building something new.

Find out about Trove or follow Abby’s personal account, @abby_in_progress.

Photo: Abby Bookholt / personal collection.