The Alfred, Melbourne

Congratulations on completing your challenge and thank you again for your magnanimous support of The Alfred this Dry July.

Year after year, we continue to be truly grateful for the amazing contribution the community has bestowed upon the hospital, and we would particularly like to thank each and every one of you for the specific role that you have played in helping ease the stresses and strains on those affected by cancer.

The Alfred looks after many thousands of people living with cancer every year, so we see first-hand the difficult fight that patients and their families face on a daily basis.

We also see the remarkable difference that small changes can make to a patients’ stay, particularly as they endure such a challenging time. And your Dry July efforts have helped make that battle a little easier for some, and for that we are so grateful.

Thanks to the support of Dry July and those of you who have participated, The Alfred has been able to make some really positive changes to improve a number of areas where our patients spend a great deal of time, including a tranquil garden for patients to relax in between treatments and a new kitchen for inpatients and their loved ones to be able to enjoy the simple pleasure of making themselves a cup of tea.

Our gratitude is also extended to everyone who sponsored a Dry July Supporter this year; your remarkable generosity should not go unremarked. On behalf of the staff and patients at The Alfred, thank you!

A/Prof Jeremy Millar (Director Radiation Oncology), Prof Harshal Nandurkar (Director Clinical Haematology) & Michelle Gold (Director of Palliative Care)

The Alfred has two priority projects that will benefit from Dry July funding this year:

- redevelopment of the Young Adults with Cancer area; and

- upgrading patient information and waiting areas in the Radiation Oncology area (lower ground floor).

The aim of both projects is to make these spaces more welcoming for cancer patients, their families and carers.

The patient kitchen in ward 7 East at The Alfred was recently renovated using funds from Dry July 2015.

The upgrade included installation of a duel water filter tap which provides filtered cold water and boiling water from a unit above the sink; adding more storage; building a shelf for the ice machine; including a shelf for the microwave to free up bench space; and fitting out an area for bin storage. Patients spend a lot of time on the ward and these simple upgrades to the kitchen area will make the space a little more welcoming and usable - now more than one person can use the kitchen at the same time!

Everyone at The Alfred continues to be amazed and very grateful at the support the community has shown us throughout Dry July. We would like to thank you for helping us to improve the facilities and surrounds in which our patients are treated. Your support assists people facing a very difficult journey and for that we are enormously appreciative.

The Alfred has been a beneficiary of Dry July for three years, because of you we have been able to make some amazing and positive changes to help improve the areas where our patients spend a great deal of time. The Alfred looks after many thousands of patients living with cancer and we see the difficult flight they are facing. The projects and support of Dry July has helped to make that battle a little better and for that we thank you.

Our gratitude is also extended to everyone who sponsored a family member, friend or colleague. Your contribution should not go unremarked. Your generosity is also welcomed by all of us and on behalf of the staff and patients at The Alfred, thank you!

A/Prof Jeremy Millar (Director Radiation Oncology) & Prof Harshal Nandurkar (Director Clinical Haematology)

My story began on the 7th of September 2015, when I was admitted to The Alfred, Ward 7East Haematology Oncology to begin chemotherapy for an unusual presentation of AML (Acute Myeloid Leukaemia). At 22, this diagnosis felt surreal, despite feeling quiet fatigued, I felt I was too young and healthy to have a ‘cancer’ diagnosis. That’s the thing though, isn’t it? Cancer does not discriminate.

I had a stereotyped image in my mind about how a person who has cancer should look and feel. After being admitted as an in-patient, I very quickly learned that this image was somewhat wrong. Yes, there were people who were very sick, but there were also people who despite their diagnosis remained strong and optimistic.  

Shortly after I was admitted, I was introduced by my nurse to Skye (18) also an AML patient. Skye is bright, bubbly and oozes positivity. She almost instantly calmed my apprehension and fear of the unknown. Being able to speak with a like-minded patient of similar age really helped me. We both spent over 3 months as in-patients on the ward over a 6 month period of treatment.

We decorated our room with photos, cards and feel-good quotes stuck to the walls, with perfumed reeds, dreamcatchers and elephants with their trunks up for good luck. Pillows and colourful blankets brightened the room, as did the fake flowers (As real flowers are a health risk to immune compromised patients). As you could imagine, we created a positive atmosphere which really helped us get through our treatment.  

Despite being confined to the oncology ward, we managed to make the best of a difficult situation. I particularly remember Halloween, when we put makeup on our faces, complete with black eyes and Frankenstein stitches. We draped ourselves in sheets and dragged our IV poles behind us, spooking the nursing staff around the ward. The best part was the unplanned scare our night nurse got when he came on duty later that night and checked on us asleep in our makeup!  

The nurses, dietitians, occupational therapists, social workers, orderlies, pastoral care workers, general hospital staff and of course the doctors themselves were absolutely brilliant. I was treated with respect and dignity, and I always felt I was in safe hands.  

The positive attitudes, professionalism, support and quality of care given to me are qualities to which I aspire in my future profession as a registered nurse. I feel inspired, and feel the nursing staff set an excellent example of the attributes a great nurse should have. 

So please get behind The Alfred hospital’s ‘Dry July’ appeal and help the hospital make spaces a little brighter and more comfortable for those undergoing cancer treatments and their families.  

Rochelle Gengaroli (Former patient, 5 months remission).