Visiting Andrea in secret, Sonya discovers that Andrea believes she actually is Dee Bliss, and does not recognise either Hugo or Willow. Toadie is hurt when he discovers Sonya's secretive behaviour, but agrees to keep away from Andrea. The Rebecchis pay for Andrea's psychiatric care, stretching them financially. Sonya hires Alice Wells (Kerry Armstrong) as Nell and Hugo's live-in nanny and grows close to her, unaware that Alice is lacing her food with strong painkillers. As her dependency on the drug grows, Sonya's behaviour alerts suspicion from Toadie and her friends. She falls severely ill when Alice withdraws the painkillers; she nearly relapses but resists with Toadie's help. Infuriated by Sonya's strength, Alice poisons her with pesticide, revealing herself as Andrea's mother. She leaves Sonya for dead at the roadside, but Willow uncovers her grandmother's con and warns Toadie. Together, they rescue Sonya and she pulls through. After being discharged from hospital, Sonya experiences stomach pain for several weeks and ultimately collapses. Doctors find a large cyst on her ovary – unrelated to Alice's poisoning – and after she has it surgically removed, Sonya is told she has stage four ovarian cancer, which has already spread to her gastrointestinal tract, liver and brain. With Toadie's support, Sonya hides her diagnosis from her friends and family. Karl later tells her that she has a 25% chance of surviving for the next five years. Sonya begins intensive chemotherapy but the situation becomes more stressful when Andrea sends lawyers to assess the Rebecchis' suitability as Hugo's guardians. Sonya uses her cancer as leverage and convinces Andrea to sign full custody of Hugo to Toadie. Sonya eventually reveals her diagnosis to her family and friends, who organise a fundraiser for her at The Waterhole. Callum returns from San Francisco to support Sonya, after Dipi contacts him. Jade also returns to Erinsborough, and the family plan a trip to a beach house. Sonya confides in Toadie's brother Shane Rebecchi (Nicholas Coghlan) that when she went to Tasmania, Andrea told her about a man who mistook her for a woman called Karen, as they look alike. Andrea believes that he was talking about the real Dee. Shane agrees that Sonya should keep it from Toadie for the moment. Sonya's oncologist informs her that the chemotherapy has had no effect on the tumour in her brain, and she only has days to live. Sonya experiences blurred vision