By going Dry this July, you’re helping people like Maddison
I’m a 32 year old Travel Agent and have lived in Geelong my whole life. I’m the youngest of 5 children (2 brothers and 2 sisters) and could not live without my legend of a mum! I’m currently living with mum, who has been my absolute rock throughout everything, running around after me with my appointments and treatment.
My 2 main passions in life are Dance and P!nk. I’ve been dancing for more than 20 years now and love everything about it. It’s such a great release and an escape from everything else going on in the world. I’ve performed most styles including jazz, contemporary, hip hop, Latin and commercial and taught all ages from 3 year olds through to 60 year olds.
In March this year I was diagnosed with Acute T-cell Lymphoblastic...
By going Dry this July, you’re helping the Royal Melbourne Hospital support people like Steve and Robyn.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, this year is even more significant than ever for our cancer patients.
For RMH cancer patient, Steve Mahoney, life has changed dramatically after he received his diagnosis in July 2019. After discovering a mouth ulcer, he went straight to the doctor. Steve considers himself a fighter, so the word ‘cancer’ did not frighten him. While both Steve and his wife of 12 years, Robyn were prepared for the battle, they admitted they did not know anything about head and neck cancer, or what lay ahead as they drove to the RMH from the Mornington Peninsula for treatment. Steve soon had to give up working in the panel beating business in preparation for the many months of surgery and treatment.
Steve’s cancer resulted in many...
Dry July funding helps The Wesley Hospital Choices Cancer Support Centre support people like Carly
Sometimes life throws you curve balls, the kind you never expected. Mine came in the form of a breast cancer diagnosis in 2019, it was just after my 30th birthday and I found a lump in Vietnam.
It can’t be cancer I assured myself, I’m far too young to get cancer. I was soon headed to Europe to start work in the busy summer tourist season ahead, but it wasn’t to be. On my return to London, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Not only was the lump cancerous but I had been told it had spread to my bones. I was told I had one chance and one chance only to fight this, I was also told I was going to die.
When I returned to Australia, I started all the medical treatments, but I knew that to beat cancer, medical treatments wouldn’t be...
Your Dry July fundraising helps Solaris provide Counselling and Support Services for people affected by cancer
Solaris Cancer Care recognises, people with cancer sometimes need support to manage the many issues that arise on the cancer journey.
Professional counselling and support groups are an integral service offered by Solaris Cancer Care and Dry July funding continues to underpin this vital assistance. Provided by compassionate, qualified facilitators, our counsellors and facilitators assist patients to talk through and clarify their concerns and issues, help find resolution and reduce anxiety.
Dry July funds enable Solaris Cancer Care to continue their Guest Speaker Program
Dry July funding has enabled us to continue the provision of our guest speaker program. These free events offer the opportunity to hear from experts in their field and enable patients and the wider public the opportunity to understand how to live well during the cancer journey.
The 2019 program included an Exercise Science Update presentation by leading academic, Professor Rob Newton. This presentation included cancer related fatigue and the influence of exercise; exercise medicine and tumour biology, reducing decline in strength, body composition and functional ability in cancer patients. This information is invaluable in managing and living with a cancer diagnosis.
2019 Dry July funds contributed to the introduction of drumming circle workshops at Solaris Cancer Care!
Solaris Cancer Care is fortunate to have counsellors trained in the Holyoake DRUMBEAT program and with the aid of Dry July, we purchased African Djembe drums and introduced drumming circle workshops. No musical skills or experience are required by participants.
As well as providing a sense of community, these structured programs incorporate music, psychology and neurobiology to build resilience through rhythm.
Dry July funds help Westmead support people like Jane
I have been a patient at the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Centre Westmead for the past 12 months.
When I first started attending, I found the centre very clinical and it reminded you that you were visiting the hospital yet again for another appointment.
After Dry July 2019 the funds raised gave the centre a much needed upgrade.
It was now a bright, peaceful and more comfortable place to visit. The beautiful artwork gave you something to lose your thoughts in and a more comfortable seat made the wait not as hard.
The Centre does some wonderful work for me and countless other patients and the funds raised really do assist those undergoing cancer treatment.
Funds raised by Dry July participants help The Alfred support people like Brett
On Valentines’ Day 2018, I was diagnosed with Leukaemia ALL B Cell Philadelphia Positive – a rare and aggressive form of cancer. I went to the see a local Melbourne GP after feeling unwell for about a month; however, I didn’t think my symptoms were all that serious. My symptoms were a cold with a barking cough, night sweats which became continuous throughout the day as time progressed, a faint purple dotted rash on my chest and legs, fatigue, muscle soreness, heavy menstrual period and nose and mouth bleeds.
Once I explained these symptoms to the GP, he urged me to go straight to Emergency as there was likely something wrong with my blood composition. He explained it could be Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and Lymphoma or...
Your Dry July fundraising helps St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne support people like Karen
Living with an incurable cancer is an extremely challenging situation for anyone to be faced with but Warrnambool resident Karen Wilde has refused to focus on the negatives of her diagnosis. Instead, she has harnessed the power of positive thinking and is making the most of life.
Karen was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer, seven years ago. Her diagnosis came after she complained to her doctor about knee pain.
“It was a stroke of luck that my doctor recalled a woman who had experienced similar symptoms who had been diagnosed with the disease,” Karen said.
In Australia, approximately 1700 people are diagnosed with myeloma each year.
Karen is one of only 46 people in the world participating in a clinical trial...