For Grant and his wife Branka, our 13 11 20 support services were instrumental in helping them through a double cancer diagnosis.

The parents of two daughters had only been in Australia for a few years after moving from overseas and had no family around and little support when they received the devastating news.

“I was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer on Friday 15 February 2013. Just three days earlier, on the Tuesday, my wife Branka was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. We really relied on Cancer Council for support.”

Grant had begun radiation and chemotherapy straight away and someone had suggested he call us on 13 11 20.

“At this point, I was still feeling pretty lost and confused, I was shell-shocked and just wanted to know what was going to happen.

"Doctors have a habit of being informal and a little distant – they have to, they can’t make promised or give you false hope. I just wanted to speak to someone who is human.”

By signing up to Dry July, you’ll be helping people like Grant and Branka who need the support of our compassionate and experienced cancer nurses through our 13 11 20 service.

Our nurses can talk through questions about treatment, provide information on different cancer types and link people to other support services like counselling, free wigs and financial assistance.

“The last time I used 13 11 20 was about seven months after I finished treatment. Someone had told me that it was common, once you start recovering, to experience unbelievable anger about why this had all happened to me," says Grant.

"When I was experiencing this, I called the number again and they organised, when I was ready, a couple of counselling sessions for me. It was fantastic."

Help people like Grant and Branka get support during diagnosis, treatment and beyond.

By signing up to Dry July, you’ll be helping people like Grant and Branka who need the support of our compassionate and experienced cancer nurses through our 13 11 20 service. Sign up today.