Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre

Dry July is thrilled to be able to support ‘Reflected Legacy’, a ground breaking arts and health program at Liverpool Hospital. This program received funding from Dry July’s 2015 Grant Program.

Lead by visual artist Flutter Lyon, this project complements the holistic care of cancer patients in palliative care, while enhancing and changing the physical environment for patients, families and staff on the ward.

How the Program Works

Flutter Lyon hosts Pressing Sessions in patient rooms; profound, interactive experiences between the artist and the patient that combine storytelling and art making. Through a series of questions and storytelling exercises Flutter captures the life stories of people in the last days and weeks of their life in unique Ink-Pressing artworks and sound recordings, which are then given to the patient and their family as a gift of art and legacy.

Connection. Insight. Healing.

When we tell our stories, it gives us a way of sharing and reflecting upon the life we are living. Free expression and storytelling in this setting offers a deepened sense of connection to the value and meaning of our individual and shared life experiences.

It can bring comfort, celebration and beauty during a challenging time in our lives, encouraging the recall of memories and key points in our life that we have felt free, joyous, loving and loved, strong and hopeful. By remembering what we have done and seeing the powerful nature of our human experience, it can help empower us to find the strength and bravery we might desire now.

What the Program Does

This powerful experience, when taken into the palliative care space, provides tangible outcomes:

• -patients report improvements to their mood, pain management, appetite and sleep patterns;
  

• families report feeling uplifted and more connected; and
  

• staff report new insights into patient care and a greater sense of support and resilience within the ward environment

Who the Project is For

Patients and loved ones engaged in the Palliative Care services at Liverpool Hospital.

This story was originally posted on Flutter Lyon’s Facebook Page

The Wellness Plant Giving Program is a innovative project that will provide Liverpool Cancer Services patients with a plant symbolising their wellbeing at the end of their treatment, as well as offer fresh produce for the Wellness Centre's cooking courses. The giving program is made possible through a grant award from the Dry July Foundation in 2015, which will be used to purchase all the tools, soil, seedlings and education required to kick-start the program.

Plants will be grown from cuttings and seedlings in a greenhouse in the Wellness Centre (at Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre) in the outdoor area maintained by patients and staff. A Horticulturist will educate patients and staff on how to grow from seedlings, cuttings, fertilizing and gardening tips. A vegetable garden will offer produce for the Centre's the cooking classes.

The aim of the cooking classes is to help carers, including those who may have lost their partner to cancer, patients, and cancer survivors utilise healthier meal plans using fresh produce. This program gives patients and carers opportunity to interact with others, and give back to patients who are finishing their treatment.

UPDATE: since the program launched in June 2016, each patient now receives a plant of wellness on completion or radiotherapy with a little message in each plant, and as of October just over 200 patients have received a plant.

“The garden session was excellent, very practical and notes given were excellent. Phil’s passion motivates me to appreciate my garden. The plus is meeting and communicating with others of like mindedness.” M

Liverpool's Wellness Centre programs support adult cancer survivors and carers by offering a variety of activities to benefit individual needs. Funding from the 2015 Dry July Grant Program will enable the Centre to continue to offer courses such as yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and massage, following  a successful pilot program.

All of these programs serve as complementary therapies and exercises to conventional cancer treatment, and can help with strengthening and flexibility as well as reducing anxiety, pain, and fatigue.

These programs at the Liverpool Cancer Therapy Wellness Centre rely entirely on community support for funding.

UPDATE: Some of the feedback received from our patients attending the programs includes:

“The art session is very relaxing and meeting new people is so positive, especially when you are living with cancer. It’s wonderful to be able to come to such a positive uplifting activity with such a talented lady as Laurel."

"Zumba is such a fun way to exercise and to meet new people. The instructions are easy to follow the moves are great and I really enjoy both the dancing and the social aspects.” LM  

On the relaxation and meditation group…"The class is really good and I enjoy it very much.’"

"Everything is good. I feel comfortable at the centre, I enjoy the classes and the teacher.’"

On the yoga group... “Feeling relaxed after experiencing Pranayama breathing technique." Another patient said,  “I particularly like the pranayama breathing technique and asked to return for another session the following week.”

To draw attention and entice patrons to support the cause the men donned ‘mankinis’, sarongs and Dry July caps. Along the route they auctioned a lap dance for $405 and one of the guys even waxed his back in return for a $450 donation!

Michael, Peter and friends have raised over $6,000 so far and are aiming for $7,000 in total.

Earlier this year Peter Durrington and his wife Donna visited Liverpool Cancer Therapy Centre to see how Dry July funds have made a difference to patients. Since 2012, Peter has raised over $100k for Dry July.

Peter and Donna met Janet Heslep on the day. Janet is the new Wellness Program Manager at LCTC. Dry July funds have gone toward fitting out stage 1 of the Wellness Centre and toward wellness programs.