Pancare Foundation

When Keon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of 39, he turned to the Pancare Foundation for help.

Through Pancare’s PanSupport program, Keon was able to receive dedicated support, resources and the opportunity to connect with others to understand more about his diagnosis, treatment options and other practical ways to help him navigate living with cancer.

“Pancare Foundation have been a great source of support during my treatment with pancreatic cancer. Through their PanSupport program, I’ve had access to their Specialist Cancer Nurse, Shannon, who has helped me access treatment options and kept me motivated and determined to beat this disease. I’ve also had the opportunity to attend support groups and connect with others living with cancer to share our experiences, support one another and remain positive.

 I’d encourage others to get involved in Dry July and help Pancare give hope and support to others living with low-survival cancers.”

With thanks to funding support from Dry July, the first of our Living Well Series webinar events was held on Tuesday 15th September 2020 amid COVID-19, with over 195 registrations across the country.

Since this first Living Well Series event we have presented to hundreds of Australians impacted by an upper GI cancer and have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. The Series has been engaging and effective in delivering information that is relevant and helps support participants in making informed decisions around their care.

“The Dry July campaign provides people impacted by pancreatic and upper gastrointestinal cancers a unique and proactive way to enhance awareness and raise funds for these critically underfunded cancers.

Thanks to funding from Dry July Foundation, we have been able to deliver our vital Living Well Series – providing people living cancer access to valuable information that can help enhance their health and wellbeing and empower them to make informed choices on their cancer journey.

We’re extremely grateful for the generosity of the Dry July Foundation and all the wonderful fundraisers in helping us achieve better outcomes for those affected by cancer.”

DOUG HAWKINS, Pancare Foundation CEO

“When you are diagnosed with cancer, you have a whole range of appointments that are set up for you and it becomes almost a full-time job going from appointment to appointment. Our service is there for patients and carers when they are at their most vulnerable, they’ve been thrust into this new way of living & with odds stacked against them, they come to us for hope.

They might call just to talk about diet or to find out about a particular surgery or have their results explained. We take a case management approach; thus, we listen for cues and ask questions that help open doors to a whole range of services that the patient might not have known about or considered. It means that they can access help and support that they otherwise would not have known about and in that sense, we help people make the best use of the health system that we have in Australia.

I would like to think that we are able to take some of that burden of navigating the health system away from patients. They should not have to sit for hours trying to find services, or research or information. We can listen to them and find out what they need and put that all together for them so they can spend more time looking after themselves and focusing on what is important. We are also often just a sounding board for patients, and we can give them our time and undivided attention - which I know means a lot to them.”

Your fundraising for Dry July 2021 will allow Pancare Foundation to expand this incredible service so that people affected by an upper GI cancer can feel supported and cared for from the moment they are diagnosed, through their treatment and beyond.

“When mum was diagnosed, we were just lost and felt like there was no hope at all. After we spoke with the Specialist Cancer Nurse at Pancare, it was like we were able to breathe again. We know we are getting access to all that we need to so that mum gets the best treatment possible and is supported all the way. Oh, and I think that I also sleep better knowing that if I get stuck, there is someone that I can call.”

TRACEY, daughter of pancreatic cancer patient supported by PanSupport.

In July of 2020 Pancare stood up a team to participate in Dry July. We promoted the event across all our networks, and our incredible community rallied behind us. We were able to exceed our target which was a great result!

"It was a particularly difficult time to take part in a campaign that meant surrendering one of my indulgences at the end of a rough day, but then I remembered why I work for Pancare, to make a difference.

Although Covid had hit us, it hit those suffering from these insidious Cancers much harder. So, I put my big girl pants on, joined up for Dry July 2020, along with my colleagues, and we raised just under 14K for our charity to help raise much needed funds and awareness to support those in need. What’s 31 days when you have your whole life ahead of you, when so many are denied that privilege.

The fact that we have been named a beneficiary for Dry July in 2021 is such an incredible opportunity for Pancare Foundation and we are so grateful to have been included alongside other such valuable organisations. After working so hard, for so long, to raise awareness and improve outcomes for the devastating cancers we support, it means so much to us that we now have such an incredible platform to work with – to continue to raise awareness and much needed funds to support all Australians impacted by pancreatic and other upper GI cancers.”

SHEENA, Pancare Foundation Dry July Champion