Cancer Council

Your Dry July fundraising in 2021 helped Cancer Council continue to support people affected by cancer across Australia through their 13 11 20 Information and Support Line – an incredible feat that would have been impossible without you.

“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. Over $3million was raised in 2021 which was directed to 13 11 20 across Australia, the money you have raised stays in your territory – ensuring that there is local support available for those who need it most.

“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 in 2022, thank you for helping us be there to take the call and ensure no one has to face cancer alone.

Your Dry July fundraising this year has helped Cancer Council Australia continue running their 13 11 20 Information and Support Line across every Australian state and territory – an incredible feat that would have been impossible without you.

13 11 20 is there for all Australians, with dedicated teams of health professionals with cancer care experience answering calls from hundreds of Australians every single day. The money you have raised will stay in your state or territory – ensuring that there is local support available for those who need it most.

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

Marnie could never have predicted what 2020 had in store for her. At the beginning of the year, she was studying to become a nurse, taking classes with her dance company, and hanging out with friends.

“When I was diagnosed, it was a time in my life when I was just starting to find my feet and discover where I belonged in the world. Then it all came crashing down,” said Marnie.

In March, not only did she have to endure the shock of a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis, she had to complete treatment through all the uncertainty and disruption of COVID-19.

“No one could come in [to the hospital] with me – I think mum came to my first treatment and from there I was on my own,” said Marnie.

“It’s pretty scary because you’re going into hospital not knowing what’s really going on and all by yourself, but I guess that’s how it had to be.”

When Marnie was first diagnosed, it was completely unexpected. It was purely by chance that her cancer – already at stage 3 – was discovered.

Read Marnie's full story here: https://www.dryjuly.com/2021/marnies-story 

Your Dry July fundraising helps us support Cancer Council Australia's 13 11 20 Information and Support Line.

The national service provides cancer-specific information, as well as emotional and practical support to more than 37,000 callers across Australia each year.

The 13 11 20 line operates from Monday-Friday, 9-5pm. ☎️

To find out more visit: www.cancer.org.au/support-and-servi…/cancer-council-13-11-20

After going through the overwhelming disruption and stress of a cancer diagnosis, many cancer patients understandably look forward to life getting back to “normal”.

But what happens what it doesn’t?

For some survivors, it can be difficult to manage every day when it feels like nobody understands what they’ve been through.

This is exactly the scenario that was the focus of Cancer Council NSW’s virtual webinar, Life changes after cancer – When it all falls apart. The webinar was the first in a series of three, which were generously funded by the Dry July Foundation.

Held on Thursday 28 May 2020, the webinar featured consumer panelists Kate Lyons and Alan King, a married couple whose lives were changed in December 2018 when Alan was diagnosed with cancer. Alan recounted his experiencing being diagnosed with cancer and discussed some of challenges of cancer treatment, including adjusting to going back to work and the cognitive impact of post-chemotherapy.

For Kate, Alan’s diagnosis “rocked” her and she found herself suddenly in a carer’s role, in addition to working full-time and being mum of three kids who, according to Kate, “just wanted to keep things as normal as possible”.

When reflecting on the difficulties of the past year, Kate struggled to remember how she got through each day, but she now reminds herself to “take each day as it comes, and just keep going”.

Alan and Kate’s story resonated with many viewers, with one viewer saying the webinar helped them to feel less alone with their thoughts and feelings. “It normalises much of the experience and resonates at a deep level,” the viewer said.

Another viewer also said that they could “not understand why I was so irritable at times to my husband” post-diagnosis, but “just listening to the webinar tonight has really resonated with me.”

The webinar featured counsellor Maxine Rosenfield. Maxine said that physical sensations of shock, emotional outburst and a racing mind, will often accompany changes to friendships, intimacy and work relationships.

When asked what advice she had for people who received a cancer diagnosis, Maxine said it was important to build a strong support network.

 “Call on your support system as soon as you can – gather your crew to help you navigate the next steps…and seek formal support such as counselling to help you through tests and treatment and beyond,” she said.

Information and support is available to anyone affect by cancer though Cancer Council 13 11 20 Information and Support. To watch the webinar, visit the Cancer Council NSW website and to sign up for Dry July and raise funds for Cancer Council NSW, click here.