Amy Scott, the New South Wales police officer who pursued and shot the perpetrator of the Bondi Junction stabbing attack, has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form of breast cancer”.

Joel Cauchi killed six people in a mass stabbing attack on 13 April 2024 at the Bondi Westfield shopping centre, wounding another 10.

Scott was the first officer to arrive, confronting Cauchi alone. She shot him twice after he approached her with a knife, before unsuccessfully performing CPR on him.

Scott received the Commissioner’s Valour award later that year for “an act of conspicuous merit involving exceptional bravery”.

NSW Police Legacy announced on Monday that she had been “recently been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer”

“Beyond her dedicated service to the community, Amy is a devoted wife, a loving mother of two young boys, and has a family who depend on her and walk this journey beside her every day,” the charity said.

By Monday afternoon, the charity’s fundraiser had already raised more than $80,000 for Scott.

“Amy now needs the strength, compassion, and support of her community,” NSW Police Legacy said.

“This is a powerful reminder that even our strongest people are human, and this fundraiser has been created to ease the financial burden for Amy and her family during this incredibly challenging time”.

The NSW premier, Chris Minns, on Monday described Scott as “a genuine, bona fide Australian hero” who “we owe a huge debt of gratitude to”.

In addition to her heroic actions at Bondi Junction, Scott has also been an “inspiration” to the officers who attended the Bondi beach terror attack on 14 December, Minns said.

“I’m devastated to hear this news. If anyone deserves a break it is Amy and we wish her the very best, she is an absolute champion,” he said.

The NSW police minister, Yasmin Catley, said Scott was “the epitome of the brilliance of the NSW police force” and “the whole police family are suffering at the moment with the knowledge of her diagnosis”.

The opposition leader, Kellie Sloane, said Scott was “facing the fight of her life”.

“Our community is deeply grateful for Amy’s service. This is our chance to stand with her, to support her, and to show her that the community she has protected for so long is firmly behind her,” she said.

A coronial inquest into the Bondi attack heard that Cauchi had been treated for schizophrenia and was “floridly psychotic”.

He killed Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Yixuan Cheng, 27, Pikria Darchia, 55, Dawn Singleton, 25, and Faraz Tahir, 30.