Helping people affected by cancer

Kerry's Story

Hi, my name is Kerry and I live in Brisbane. I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August 2019, such a shock as no obvious signs which is often the case with this type of cancer. I started chemotherapy straight away, followed by surgery and more chemotherapy. I was lucky enough to be given a brochure about Choices Cancer Support Centre at the time and became a regular there participating in yoga and gym program, it was nice to be around others that knew what you were going through.

I was a very active person prior to my diagnosis and was determined to keep up with my fitness as much as I could. I joined the Choices Gym Program and really enjoyed the emphasis on staying healthy and fit during and after treatment. Having an exercise...

Your 2021 Dry July fundraising has helped patients living with cancer continue to access wellness therapies at the ONJ Centre

Our Wellness Team supports patients’ body, mind and soul alongside their medical treatment.

Thanks to you, Dry July fundraising has kept our Wellness gym open and provided additional psychological support to help people cope with the enormity of cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Research has shown that exercising through cancer treatment not only helps maintain strength and energy levels, it also reduces the severity and number of side effects that are common with cancer treatment.

“Exercise has improved my energy levels, mood and given me a sense of purpose.” A wellness gym patient said.

"Your eight-week program has set me on a path to regular exercise and a healthier lifestyle. It also enabled me to stay fit during treatment, which I...

Ian and Barb's Story

Ian and Barb were the first residents of the Ba-Lee Lodges after they were recently refurbished thanks to funding from the Dry July Foundation.

Ian was a patient of Barwon Health’s Andrew Love Cancer Centre receiving 8 weeks of radiation therapy.

With the couple living in Mildura the relief of not having to worry about finding accommodation for the duration of Ian’s treatment was great.

The Ba-Lee Lodges are located in close proximity to the Andrew Love Cancer Centre which makes getting to and from treatment easy for patients and with the recent upgrades the units are now more than ever a home away from home for patients and their families.

Although this time was very difficult for Ian and his wife Barb, he described their stay at the...

Cheryle's Story

At Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre (BRICC) we are very proud to welcome Cheryle Allan as our Ambassador for the BRICC Wellness Centre 2022 Dry July Campaign.

Early in 2018 Cheryle dismissed not feeling 100%, “having a lot on at the time” - renovating a house and helping her daughter care for her children. It was not until months later in the shower, feeling much better “fit and healthy” she felt some pressure under her arm “almost like a pimple” and didn’t think much of it. The following day presented the same issue and she decided to go see her GP, who sent Cheryle straight off for a mammogram.

At the end of the day she got a call with the news that she had stage 3 triple negative breast cancer. Cheryle has no history of...

Aleesha's Story

At the end of 2018, I discovered a large lump on my neck while I was working overseas. My doctor arranged for it to be biopsied once I returned to the country in February 2019, and those tests came back inconclusive. About eight months later, I still had the lump and I was feeling really run down, and my new GP ran some further tests and recommended that I get the lump biopsied again. The second time the tests showed that I had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

There was about six weeks between my diagnosis and staring treatment, and in between that there was a heap of other tests, a rushed round of IVF to collect some eggs, and turning 30. Going through treatment was difficult. It was the first time I had spent a lot of time as a patient in the...

Patricia's Story

After losing her mother to breast cancer 20 years prior, Patricia Mahara knew only too well what to expect after her own diagnosis in 2020.

“This has been an incredibly difficult time as going through cancer normally would be a rough journey, but to do it during the COVID pandemic has been extremely scary as your immune system is so low,” Patricia said.

Surgery and chemotherapy and 30 rounds of radiation at the Mater Cancer Care Centre took an incredible toll on Patricia. However, thanks to the generous support of the community, she was able to access the Women’s Wellness after Cancer Program.

“It was the first time throughout the journey that I could talk with ladies that were going through the same things as me,” she said.

The Women’s...

Thanks to you, Calvary Mater Newcastle’s Ward 5C is now benefitting from the purchase of ten new vital sign patient monitors

Thanks to Dry July funding, Calvary Mater Newcastle’s Ward 5C (Haematology) is now benefitting from the purchase of ten new vital sign patient monitors that have been installed into the ward’s single rooms.

For many of the hospital’s patients being treated for leukaemia they will spend a large proportion of their stay in one of the single rooms due to disease-related symptoms and treatment side-effects.

The new monitors enable staff to ensure that clinical and observation monitoring is carried out effectively and safely for each patient isolated in these rooms.

Linzi Nolan, Nurse Unit Manager Wards 5C/D, said, “Checking and recording clinical observations, blood pressure, temperature, etc, is carried out every four hours and is vital in...

The Department of Radiation Oncology’s walls come to life thanks to Dry July 2021 funding

The Department of Radiation Oncology’s corridors at Calvary Mater Newcastle have come to life thanks to a new mural installed in the department following Dry July funding.

Patients and staff are now greeted by a colourful and fun mural depicting local Newcastle scenes and landmarks, designed by talented local artist Mitch Revs. The mural is located in the corridor leading to the Zeus treatment unit and has brought joy and fun to the walls.

Karen Jovanovic, Chief Radiation Therapist, said, “Cancer diagnosis is a huge, life-changing event, causing much anxiety for our patients. It has long been recognised that the environment patients encounter while attending hospital or clinic for health-related appointments influences patients’ stress...

Melissa's Story

55-year-old Melissa from Sydney’s Sutherland Shire was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in the midst of the pandemic in 2020. Her cancer was triple-negative breast cancer and when she was diagnosed, it had already spread to her lymph nodes. Eight months of treatment included fifteen rounds of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, removal of her lymph nodes and twenty-five rounds of radiotherapy. Melissa was left physically and mentally exhausted.

During the treatment Melissa had suffered from many complications, including peripheral neuropathy that caused tingling and numbness, infections under her fingernails, early stage lymphoedema, severe radiation burns and cording causing restricted movement in her arm. The treatment...