Chris O'Brien Lifehouse

By taking part in Dry July, you’ve helped fund furniture for the waiting room of our new Level 7 ward; extended our complementary in-patient therapies and our Lymphoedema Program.

Being able to offer reflexology or massage therapy to our patients as they recover in their rooms makes such a difference to their well-being. Our recently opened new ward on Level 7 will now also have much needed new furniture for the waiting room allowing family and carers to be close by while their family member is treated.

We are beyond grateful for your fundraising efforts and dedication. 

On behalf of Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, we would like to thank you for your support and contribution to making a positive difference in the lives of people living with cancer.

For a long time the space on Level 7 at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse has remained an empty shell.

Now it is home to our You Can Centre - a dedicated space for adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients to socialise, relax, wait for appointments, find some distraction and connect with others.

The You Can Centre was built in partnership with the Sony Foundation and the Sydney Local Health District, and with contributions also from the Dry July Foundation.

Funds raised from the 2021 Dry July campaign helped furnish the movie and games room, a music room, and a leafy outdoor balcony.

“I can use the space as somewhere else to go. I’m not spending all day in a hospital bed, I come down and hangout down here ….and some days just come down and nap in the cinema room.” Hannah (AYA patient)

At Chris O’Brien Lifehouse our patients are the centre of everything we do. Funding from Dry July has helped create a welcoming space for patients and their families to use while going through treatment for cancer.

“I walked in here with mum and mum burst into tears straight away….it has been done perfectly, from the actual designs of the rooms to the artwork to the furniture to the massive TVs… every single part has perfectly created a safe, non-hospital looking kind of environment.” Elliot (AYA patient)

You Can Coordinator, Emily, says, “We are grateful for the funding from Dry July as it will help provide comfort and support to cancer patients and their families at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse at a time when they need it most.”

Your incredible fundraising for Dry July has enabled Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to support young adolescent patients by purchasing:

• much need equipment for the outdoor space and recreation room for our YouCan Centre

• continue our art in health program Arterie

• provide in room complementary therapies like massage and reflexology from the LivingRoom

• fund our palliative care program so all patients and their families are supported throughout their cancer journey.

The Lifehouse LivingRoom is the home of Supportive Cancer Care and Integrative Medicine at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Camperdown, Sydney. Over the last few years, Dry July has been an integral part in funding our Lifehouse LivingRoom in our patient complementary therapies. 

Kim Kerin-Ayres, one of our Livingroom Care Coordinators who works closely with our patients says “I think cancer can be really disempowering, so helping people regain some sense of control is probably one of the most important things we try to do. We integrate into their treatment regimen some of the therapies that are going to be helpful for them in the long run, or help keep them well. For some people, it's about managing their symptoms. For others it's about proactive wellness.”

Kim recalls one of her patients who came to her for help with side effects of chemotherapy.

“She thought that she was just supposed to feel awful, that feeling so unwell must be normal. We were able to get some things in place to help her feel a little bit better, to manage her fatigue for example. She was about halfway through treatment and she said “I don't think I can [continue chemotherapy]”, but it was really important for her to do so. So we got into mindfulness, we got her into some reflexology... And she got through her cycles of chemo which was really good.”

Your fundraising for Dry July has enabled Chris O’Brien Lifehouse to purchase a scalp cooling system to help prevent hair loss during treatment, charging stations so families can stay connected, and vital physiotherapy equipment to help patients on the road to recovery.

They have also been able to continue their inpatient complementary therapy program, allowing patients to experience the healing benefits of reflexology and massage from the comfort and privacy of their own room.