Cancer Council

Thank you so much for taking on Dry July in 2026 and supporting Cancer Council through your fundraising this year.

Because of incredible people like you, no one has to face cancer alone. The funds raised help keep Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 Information and Support line available to provide practical and emotional support for Australians impacted by cancer - when they need it most. 

For many people, reaching out to 13 11 20 is a brave step. They may be feeling overwhelmed, frightened, or uncertain about what lies ahead. Thanks to your support, when they make that call, they're met with compassionate healthcare professionals who are ready to listen, guide and support them.

“As a healthcare professional working on 13 11 20, I know how important the information and support we provide to our callers are. Dry July fundraising enables our service to continue its vital work.”

– Jan Priaulx, 13 11 20 Healthcare Professional

Every conversation can make a real difference.

“Thank you for the information and links. I’m so grateful for all the support you and everyone has provided these past few months.”

 – Anonymous 13 11 20 caller

In the last financial year alone, almost 36,000 Australians reached out to 13 11 20.

As the number of people diagnosed with cancer continues to grow, the need for services like this has never been greater. And that's why your support matters so much. 

By taking part in Dry July and fundraising on behalf of Cancer Council you've helped us continue to provide our 13 11 20 Information and Support service for the 1 in 2 Australians that will be impacted by cancer in their lifetime. 

Tackling cancer, takes all of us. 

On behalf of Cancer Council, thank you for your generous support. Together, we can continue working to reduce the impact of cancer for all Australians, because it's all of us against cancer.

Finding good schools for her kids, enjoying the beachside lifestyle, and looking for new career opportunities – these were the things at the front of Wendy’s mind when she moved her family of five from Adelaide to Mooloolaba 15 years ago. Just six months later, Wendy was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“August 2008 was the first time I got diagnosed with stage three triple negative invasive ductal carcinoma. It was one of those moments when times appears to stand still. Your brain tries to comprehend what is going on. At first, it goes blank, and you feel numb. And then you think, “Oh my god, this is really happening to me.”

I didn’t know who to talk to, where to go, or what to do first. I just told myself, “We can do this.”

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Wendy moved quickly through an intense course of treatment. She first underwent a lumpectomy, followed by further surgery to remove 23 lymph nodes from her left arm and another tumour shortly after. This was followed by six months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation.

It was during this time that Wendy reached out to Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 free and confidential phone line, run by experienced health professionals.

“They were good listeners. They understood what I was going through and gave me tools to help me cope. They introduced me to the My Journey diary, and I did the Look Good Feel Good day program where they taught me how to put a wig on and apply makeup for my eyebrows. It was comforting to know they were always only a phone call away, ready to give advice and answer my questions.”

After completing her initial treatment, Wendy had a goal on reaching the five year cancer‑free mark. When at her 5-year mammogram and ultrasound they found another lump, the news was devastating. Wendy made the difficult choice to undergo a double mastectomy, followed by further chemotherapy.

“As strange as it may sound, it was the best decision I ever made... Cancer has changed me for the better in so many ways. Too many take life for granted. You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. That’s why I am paying it forward and helping others in the same situation. Five years ago, I signed up to become a Cancer Council Queensland volunteer, offering peer support over the phone to ladies who are going through a mastectomy. It is always so powerful to just listen to others who are going through the same journey I went on, to give them hope and strength. I want to share my story and do motivational speaking to not just cancer survivors, but all people who don’t know there is life after cancer.”

Five years ago, Kristina's life took an exciting turn when she decided to move to Australia from Germany.

She was ready to escape the cold, in search for her next adventure. Within five days of arriving, she fell in love with Australia.

Little did she know however, her life would take a dramatic turn with a surprising and confronting diagnosis.

Kristina was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer at only 28 years old.

Facing a shocking diagnosis

In December last year, Kristina's partner at the time noticed a small lump on her breast. She thought it was "probably a small cyst" but decided to get it checked anyway.

Her GP was “99% sure” it was a cyst, but Kristina was sent for an ultrasound just in case. The doctors then said she needed a biopsy.

That's when Kristina started to worry, saying “I got a weird feeling something wasn’t right.”

Two days later, she went for another biopsy and began to cry. Kristina says, “I wasn’t in pain, but I already knew what it was.” She didn't tell her family in Germany because they were already worried about her being so far away.

When she got a call from her doctor’s office asking her to come in that day, Kristina remembers, “I knew inside what it was, but was still kind of in denial.”

Kristina heard the words, “I’m really sorry.” And while she doesn’t remember much after that, Kristina knows it involved surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Taking on the challenges of cancer treatment

Kristina was diagnosed close to Christmas, which meant many doctors were on leave.

The surgeon her doctor found told her they needed to make sure the cancer hadn’t spread to her bones or blood. Kristina felt scared and wondered, “will I survive this?”

The surgeon scheduled body scans and surgery.

Another huge shock was fertility preservation, having learned that the treatments might make her infertile, causing early menopause, and making her lose her hair. Kristina says, “I had always dreamt about being a mother. I am a girly girl; I love having long hair and everything. I wondered who I'd be after my treatment?”

Kristina’s surgery happened quickly, and she didn’t have much time to process everything.

She says, “once I got the diagnosis, I could feel the cancer in my body, and I almost wanted to cut it out myself.”

After surgery on Christmas Eve, she felt relieved when the surgeon told her the tumour wasn’t large and her chances of survival were high. But Kristina was still worried because the cancer had spread to two lymph nodes, which is rare for someone of her age and background.

Kristina faced depression and stayed in bed for a couple of weeks.

She says, “I just felt myself lying in bed, not eating, crying, staring at the wall – I didn’t want to do anything.”

Before surgery, Kristina did some online research and came across Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 number and the support available.

“I called them after the surgery and already on the first call they were amazing", she says.

“We were on the phone for an hour, and they also talked to me about the treatments, organisations I could talk to, best doctors, financials and costs and helped me find an immigration lawyer as I was worried about renewing my visa and having cancer.” adds Kristina.

What's next for Kristina?

Despite the fear and uncertainty, Kristina is determined to move forward.

She's taking things one step at a time and focusing on her health and well-being. While she's still waiting to learn if she needs chemotherapy, she remains hopeful.

Kristina continues her mindset coaching business and draws strength from helping other women face challenges.

As she puts it, “I want to help other people – inspire them, let them know they can achieve anything they put their mind to.”

She faces her cancer experience head on and finds ways to keep moving forward.

Kristina's story reminds us that even in the face of the toughest challenges, getting the support we need helps us find a way forward.

If you need to talk about cancer, call Cancer Council on 13 11 20

Since 2019, funds raised through Dry July have supported Cancer Council’s vital 13 11 20 Information and Support line. When users call the 13 11 20 Information and Support Line, they can talk to a health professional and get the support they need.

It’s free, confidential, and available for anyone affected by cancer who has a question – those diagnosed as well as their family, friends, and carers.

As part of the service, the help provided includes:

• explaining what cancer is and what will happen during treatment

• giving tips for managing common side effects

• discussing treatment options

• Helping people find their way around the health system

• provide counselling support

• Helping carers of someone with cancer and looking after their wellbeing

• providing financial counselling to help people manage the cost of cancer

• match people with volunteers with a similar cancer experience to talk to and much more

In 2024, the 13 11 20 service responded to 39,630 requests for cancer information and support, assisting a total of 25,322 people nationally.

Each year, thousands of users are grateful for this vital service. Some examples of their feedback are included below:

From people with cancer

‘Thank you for absolutely everything you’ve done and organised for me. I am absolutely blown away by your incredible support and professionalism, and I am so, so grateful. I am looking forward to the counselling appointment. Cancer Council are very lucky to have you, as are the countless patients you no doubt speak to regularly.’

‘Thank you so much for the chat and the detailed information you have sent us. I only ever hear good things about Cancer Council Victoria and after experiencing this firsthand with yourself I can see why. Thank you.’

‘I'm just writing to thank you for the extraordinary cancer support service you provide, and that has helped me enormously. After a recent head/neck cancer diagnosis and much related stress and sleepless nights, I reached out to the support service. Ordinarily this is something it would never occur to me to do. I had many questions and concerns. After a (at times emotional) conversation with 13 11 20, when the call ended, all my distress and concerns had evaporated. It was the most extraordinary thing, and something I had never experienced before. It was nothing specific that they said, but it was everything they said, unpatronising and enlightening. It was also partly the fact that someone was there. However I could never have imagined such an immediate and satisfying result. I have had further conversations with 13 11 20 and the support from your service has continued to be invaluable to me.’

‘The assistance I received has made a significant impact on my life. When I spoke with Cancer Council, they connected me to the advice I needed. They helped me prepare all the official documents I needed and helped me navigate the medical bills to reach out to my bank to talk about my mortgage’.

From carers, family and friends

‘Thank you so much ...... for your call this morning, your tenderness, care and concern has brought much needed calmness to me. I haven't thought much about my self-care as my main concern has been for my parents coming to terms with transitioning into aged care, their loss of their home and the diagnosis and everything else associated with that. So I am very grateful to you and Cancer Council Victoria for the services you provide and the exceptional care I have received from you ....... Thank you so much.’

‘My good friend who has stage 4 breast cancer rang 13 11 20 a few times. She had such a great experience talking to a few 13 11 20 nurses and found the experience valuable and comforting. She mentioned how much better she felt after speaking with the nurses.’

‘Thank you for your time yesterday over the phone and for your time in collating all this information. I wanted to let you know how vital it was for us to have someone over the phone who was considerate, composed and caring. It really made all the difference. This information is abundant, and we will sort through it carefully. We are so very lucky to have your organisation here for us. Incredibly grateful xx’

From healthcare professionals

‘Thank you so much for your quick response and follow up with our patient. Really appreciated we love your work!’

Thank you for taking on the Dry July challenge and supporting Cancer Council this year.

Your Dry July fundraising this year is helping Cancer Council continue to support people affected by cancer across Australia through their 13 11 20 Information and Support Service.

“As a healthcare professional working on 13 11 20, I know how important the information and support we provide to our callers are. Generous funding from Dry July enables our service to continue its vital work.” – Jan Priaulx 13 11 20 Healthcare Professional

13 11 20 is there for all Australians, with a dedicated team of healthcare professionals answering calls from hundreds of Australians every single day.

“Thank you for the information and links. I’m so grateful for all the support you and everyone has provided these past few months.” – Anonymous 13 11 20 caller

On behalf of Cancer Council and all the people that will access 13 11 20 this year and beyond, thank you for helping us be there to take the call and ensure no one has to face cancer alone.

On behalf of all the patients and staff at Cancer Council, we would like to thank you for your support and contribution to making a positive difference in the lives of people living with cancer.