How We Help
When you're diagnosed with cancer, it's hard to find the time or energy to think about anything other than treating the cancer. Dry July raises money to ease that burden, reduce stress and add a bit of comfort for those affected by cancer.
Everything we fund is to benefit the cancer patient and their families and carers. We aim to make a difficult time, a little easier for those affected by cancer.
To see the full list of cancer support organisations we fund, please click here.
Mater patient, Carolyn, benefits from cooling cap
When Carolyn Attwood was facing chemotherapy following a breast cancer diagnosis in 2016, one of her first questions was whether she would lose her hair.
“I was devastated when I was told I would,” she recalled.
“Hair is a sign of health and life and normalcy. I loved my hair. It was really long and losing it made me feel like people would stare at me in the street, and that my friends, family and co-workers wouldn’t see a bright, confident person anymore—just a weak, sick person.”
Carolyn, then 34, underwent surgery to remove her breast and lymph nodes at Mater Private Hospital Springfield—where she also works as a bookings officer—and prepared herself for five rounds of chemotherapy.
Fortunately, there was some good news.
She was offered...
Mindfulness program in regional Queensland - Thanks to Dry July
Cancer Council Queensland’s Introduction to mindfulness Workshop is an interactive, skills based workshop that has been designed to support people who are facing cancer related challenges. In this half day program, participants learn more about what mindfulness is, and are introduced to mindfulness skills that can help them to be more present in their lives and spend less time worrying about the past or the future.
Some comments from the Wide Bay/Bundaberg session :
Which aspects of the workshop did you find most helpful?
"The complete program "
"Exercises, meditation and discussing issues with other people in the group. "
"I found it all helpful. "
"How to help myself unwind. "
"All! The practising of being mindful – breathing eating and...
Monique's story
Doctors have told Monique Bareham that she is cancer-free. But she’ll never really be free of cancer.
Like so many cancer survivors, the effects of the disease and the years of treatment continue to impact her each day – physically, mentally, financially and on employment and relationships.
At 36, Monique led a busy life, was dedicated to her career, and had plans for a family.
But Monique says it all came to a “grinding halt” when she found a lump in her breast.
“The days went from being normal to being aboard the cancer train,” Monique, now 45, says.
There were multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and courses of hormone and other drug therapies.
She also developed breast cancer related lymphoedema which has permanently left...
Reflected legacy at Liverpool Hospital - funded by Dry July
Reflected legacy is a groundbreaking arts and health program at Liverpool Hospital. Led by visual artist Flutter Lyon, this project compliments the holistic care of cancer patients in palliative care, while enhancing and changing the physical environment for patients, families and staff on the ward.
Why the program exists
Connection.insight. healing.
When we tell our stories, it gives us a way of sharing and reflecting upon the life w are living. free expression and story telling 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 challenging time in our lives, encouraging the recall of memories and key points in our life that we...
Tonya's story
This year Tonya celebrates 30 years since she was first treated for breast cancer at Westmead in 1987. She was diagnosed with another breast cancer in 2014 and is still going strong.
She has been blown away by some of the things that have been purchased with Dry July funds and would have loved to have had those things when she was undergoing treatment. She was very impressed with the new treatment gowns for breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy and said that would have made such a big difference at the time she was having treatment and remembered how difficult it was with the old hospital gowns. When she had her chemotherapy she had a hard backed uncomfortable chair that she had to sit in for hours. She was in awe of the...
Roberta's story
Roberta has been a long term patient at the Canberra Hospital and the Canberra Region Cancer Centre. It was a second cancer diagnosis 11 year years ago of Non Hodgkins Lymphoma just after coming to Canberra to live, which has resulted in her receiving ongoing treatment this whole time.
After extensive chemotherapy and then a stem cell transplant, Roberta’s immune system was compromised which means she comes into the centre every month to receive maintenance treatment.
Roberta has seen the changes within the hospital and move into the Canberra Region Cancer Centre over 3 years ago. She appreciates the services that are offered from the volunteers especially the tea service. Roberta could not speak highly enough of the staff and support...
Jane's story
When I finished work for the week and travelled to Wangaratta for my friend's wedding, I thought I was going just for a cheeky long weekend. Instead I was leaving life as I knew it behind.
Following a night of trying to dance through severe back pain and an unofficial diagnosis of "Leukaemia or Lymphoma, we were not sure which one", I was officially diagnosed with a mix of Acute Myloid Leukaemia and Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia on March 7, 2016 at The Alfred hospital. At 25, Leukaemia diagnosis was not something I thought I was about to face and rudely interrupted some big plans I had for 2016.
For the next six months, I called the walls of 7 East at The Alfred home for more nights than my actual house, as I undertook a mix of...
John's story
John Brown is one of the early patients of the North West Cancer Centre, located in Burnie Tasmania which opened officially in May 2016. Living in Sheffield, Tasmania, John travelled some distance to access and receive chemotherapy and radiation treatment – about 130 kilometres each day. His wife who often accompanied John to his treatment waited many hours supporting her husband.
If it wasn’t for his wife, John felt that in a couple of years time he could have been dead. He had received a bowel screening test and had thrown it aside with the other he had received twelve months earlier. His wife Anne kept on asking him if he had done the test and said to do it. To shut her up he did it and it came back positive for both samples. A...
Pauline's story
Choices cancer Support program are pleased to announce we are included as a new beneficiary for the Dry July campaign, Below is Pauline’s story which demonstrates the integrated programs of Choices and the ways it supports Queenslanders facing cancer.
Why choose the Wesley’s Choices Cancer Support Centre?
Prior to my diagnosis, I had worked to help others in the Choices programs for many years , with Kim Walters Foundation and Think Pink. Choices, offered me the choices I needed to get me through this ‘Journey’…
I was 41 when my doctor said those words (that echo as much today as on that day) “You have breast cancer”, that was 11th June 2013. I am very lucky to have an extremely supportive husband and two beautiful, then pre-teen...