Dry July 2023 funds are helping The Alfred continue to offer support for thousands of people living with cancer by easing the financial burden of parking and transport, ensuring all patients have access and can focus on what’s important, their treatment and care.
The Alfred, Melbourne
59 Supporters
Raised
$20,413.53
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Leaderboards
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Bron Leslie
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$5,249 |
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$2,568 | |
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$2,289 | |
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Julie Renton
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$760 |
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$758 | |
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Justin Sadler
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$750 |
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Narelle McLeod
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$609 |
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Joan Barkwith
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$601 |
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Latisha Hasler
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$516 |
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Jude Gillespie
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$488 |
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Latest Updates
Jim's Story |
The Alfred treats thousands of people living with cancer each year through our world-class service.
This includes five radiotherapy bunkers (three at The Alfred and two at Latrobe Regional Hospital), 40 inpatient beds, 18 day-admission chairs and 10 cancer clinical trial chairs, among other things.
But it is programs like Dry July which can help with some of the little – and not so little – challenges that confront many of our patients, some who come to The Alfred from regional and remote parts of Victoria. Accommodation and transport for some patients who travel long distances to The Alfred for treatment is just one of the programs supported by Dry July to help improve our service.
One of the many patients to benefit from this program is Jim, who hails from Marlo, a coastal town some six hours east of Melbourne. Jim has a long history with The Alfred, having had a brain operation and a pacemaker installed, while his wife also had a heart valve replacement at the hospital.
A lot of exposure to the sun throughout his career, however, resulted in further health problems. “I was a deckhand on a fishing boat for about 45 years and before that I was a carpenter and joiner apprentice,” Jim said.
He had melanomas removed from his back about 18years ago and has been battling skin cancer ever since. Due to the monitoring his pacemaker requires, Jim’s radiation therapy must be performed at The Alfred.
“The Alfred has found me accommodation (through funding from Dry July) and the Red Cross takes me backwards and forwards every day. I couldn’t fault The Alfred, they’ve been fantastic for me,” Jim said.
“It’s just a fantastic service, it’s great.” It is programs like this that funds raised from this year’s Dry July will go towards, so that many other patients can received the best possible cancer treatments
Other projects that are hoped to benefit from Dry July funds include scalp cooling equipment which helps reduce hair loss during chemotherapy (a common side effect of treatment), patient wellbeing initiatives and a music therapy program.
Join us this Dry July and help The Alfred continue to support people like Jim who are affected by cancer.
Music therapy program hits the right note for Julie |
It seemed to be just a normal Friday for Julie, when she suddenly noticed a rash appear on her legs. Julie went to her GP to get blood tests taken – the following Tuesday she was admitted to The Alfred.
Julie and her family then received the unexpected news that she had adult acute myeloid leukemia, a type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes a large number of abnormal blood cells.
Sitting in the ward worried about the diagnosis and upcoming treatment, Julie took a breath and heard music very faintly in the background. This was Lucy’s harp playing, made possible thanks to the music therapy program funded through Dry July.
“Immediately I felt more relaxed about the treatment and journey ahead. The music was just beautiful; it was so very soothing,” Julie said.
Music is something that Julie has treasured, with her father playing the violin and piano when she was younger. It brought great comfort when she needed it most.
Julie was admitted again for chemotherapy and stem cell transplant. This resulted in a major seizure which saw her rushed to ICU and put into an induced coma. This was some of the toughest times for the family. Julie said the music therapy even gave her children hope.
Spending more than 12 weeks in hospital across the two admissions, Julie said that Lucy and her music “really jollied me along”.
Music therapy improves the patient experience, reduces anxiety and offers experiences of joy during such a stressful time. Julie couldn’t stress enough the importance of music therapy.
“It is a wonderful program for staff, patients and families, the music calmed the whole ward”, she said.
Julie is now in remission with transfusions twice a week. Lucy is continuing to provide music therapy to support cancer patients in their time of need.
Your participation this Dry July will help more patients like Julie benefit from music therapy.
Team Alfred is going dry this July! |
Team Alfred is going dry this July, including some of our stars in The Alfred Oncology team. Each year, The Alfred treats thousands of people living with cancer.
Dry July is about so much more than giving up alcohol for the month, it’s about helping to provide cancer support and care that makes life better for cancer patients, their families and carers. Join us and help The Alfred continue to support people affected by cancer.
Daniela - A Myeloma Nurse Practitioner |
Daniela has been a nurse at The Alfred for the past 20 years and has provided care for many cancer patients during that time. She is passionate about caring for myeloma patients in all aspects of their treatment phase, ensuring their needs are met for a positive patient and carer experience. One aspect of Daniela’s role is coordinating stem cell transplants for her myeloma patients.
She has seen first-hand the huge difference that Dry July funding makes to her myeloma patients. Many of these patients are going through some of the toughest times in their lives and living rurally or regionally, which means they have additional financial, emotional and transport pressures. The accommodation provided using the Dry July funding means that select regional and rural patients have the first phase of their transplant as an outpatient in The Alfred's outpatient centre. The accommodation is their home away from home for a short period, taking a five-minute walk to the hospital from the accommodation for appointments until their admission day.
“The support from Dry July means we can ensure that myeloma patients that need accommodation are not disadvantaged by their location of residence which reduces additional worries at such a challenging time,” Daniela said.
Join us this Dry July and help The Alfred continue to support people affected by cancer. Programs funded through Dry July include the patient accommodation, a music therapy program for patients and loved ones affected by cancer, helping them explore and express difficult emotions. With your support we hope to be able to continue to fund these amazing programs again this year.