Helping people affected by cancer
Thanks to the incredible fundraising efforts of our Dry July participants every year, the Dry July Foundation is able to fund projects and programs that improve the comfort and wellbeing of people affected by cancer.
Everything we fund is to benefit cancer patients and their families and carers. We aim to make a difficult time, a little easier for those affected by cancer.
Where the money goes
Organisations we support
The Dry July Foundation is proud to support numerous cancer organisations across Australia. Some of the organisations who benefit from our fundraising include:
To see the full list of cancer support organisations we fund, please click here.
Patient Transport Vehicle for Brisbane Patients
Every year the Leukaemia Foundation helps more than 750 families from regional and rural Australia by providing free accommodation and transport in capital cities so they can access life-saving treatment for blood cancer.
Our patient transport vehicles, driven by trained volunteers, help thousands get to and from medical appointments, covering more than one million kilometres each year. This means that patients whose immune systems are often too weak to take public transport or a taxi can rely on friendly, on-time drivers to deliver them to treatment and back home again, safe and sound.
For the Livara family of five from Blackwater in Central Queensland, having these services available means the family can worry less about practical...
PCFA Receives a Dry July Foundation Grant
The Dry July Foundation was pleased to award Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) a grant in 2017 towards the Prostate Cancer Specialist Nursing (PCSN) program.
Prostate cancer is too frightening to face alone. Our expert nurses provide coordinated support throughout the entire prostate cancer journey; taking into account physical, emotional, psychological and social needs of men and their families.
Patients often tell PCFA that they need "an opportunity to talk through [their] diagnosis beyond what is available in a standard 15-minute consult with a urologist". Specialist nurses can help patients and their families to understand their diagnosis, what to expect and connect them with services to address the challenges that they...
Lodges Provide Life-saving Assistance
In 2004, Mount Gambier resident Dave Platt’s life changed forever when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The cancer had spread to his lymph glands and up into his seminal tubes and the doctors told him that if nothing was done, he would probably die in six months.
“When I went to get my results and the specialist told me the news, I just could not believe what had happened. I was so gobsmacked I sat in my car and cried for an hour,” he explains.
Dave had his prostate, lymph glands and seminal tube removed and began seven weeks of radiotherapy at St Andrew’s Hospital. Throughout his treatment, Dave stayed at the Cancer Council Lodges.
“I think that the best thing about staying at the lodges was that it was self-contained and if we...
Exercise Therapy at Barwon Health
Warrnambool resident Tony always considered himself fit and healthy, so he wasn’t concerned when he started experiencing unexplained tiredness and blood in his urine. His son, however, was not happy with this assumption and urged Tony to see his GP.
After a number for tests and specialist appointments, the 65-year-old was called into the clinic to meet with his doctor.
“As soon as I looked at her, I felt a shiver down my spine,” he said.
“She sat me down and said I had Acute Leukaemia. You could have knocked me down with a feather.
“She told me with about two months of chemo I had about a 40 per cent chance of remission.”
However, all Tony could think about was his family.
“I just didn’t know how to deal with this,” he said.
“I thought to...
Saving patients travel time and costs at The Royal Melbourne Hospital
On behalf of the staff and patients at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, thank you so much for the grant for the oncolology telemedicine room. The project is now complete.
The telehealth team were honoured to be offered the opportunity to facilitate innovation of care delivery for oncology outpatients through funding from the Dry July Foundation.
With the generous support of the Dry July donation we have been able to purchase several key pieces of infrastructure to enable easy access to videoconferencing for our oncology patients.
In addition to telehealth being available in every outpatient room, the oncology team can also perform multidisciplinary meetings in their usual group meeting rooms via videoconference. Professor Kate Drummond...
First patient to be given the gift of saving their hair
Thanks to funds raised by last year's Dry July participants, St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne have purchased one of the first scalp cooling caps available to public patients in Victoria.
The cap reduces the risk of hair loss during chemotherapy by decreasing scalp temperature and blood flow to hair follicles.
Afaf Shenouda couldn’t believe her luck when she was told she would be the first patient to be treated with a scalp cooling cap during her chemotherapy treatment at St Vincent’s.
‘How lucky am I to receive this treatment?’ Afaf says. ‘I’m so grateful to the donors who have given me the opportunity to keep my hair.’
‘It feels and sounds like rain, like it’s hailing on my head,’ Afaf explains, when the cap was first turned on. Afaf...
Glenda's Story - Barwon Health Foundation Volunteer Gives Back
At 55, Glenda was a fit and healthy marketing consultant relishing in the joys of becoming a grandmother for the first time. It was the discovery of a small, painless lump in her throat that changed Glenda’s life.
“Eighteen days after surgery to remove the lump I had a massive bleed requiring hospitalisation to cauterise it. As I was going under, I was told I might not live through the operation but thankfully I did,” Glenda said.
“I had 35 rounds of radiation therapy simultaneously with chemotherapy over seven weeks. After the tonsil was removed, I had a PEG tube inserted into my stomach to allow me to have a high protein liquid food. It remained there for eight months. During this period I was unable to eat solid foods for most of...
Car for Barwon Health
Patients will now have a brand new car to get to their appointments at Barwon Health thanks to a brand new car funded by the Dry July Foundation.
The new car has been added to the Volunteer Transport Program at Barwon Health and will help those patients who need assistance to reach their life-saving appointments and treatment at Barwon Health's Andrew Love Cancer Centre.
In 2017, Dry July donated more than $154,000 for the comfort and care of cancer patients at Barwon Health. Some of the items funded this year have included exercise therapy, a patient art program, music therapy, nutrition support and edible gardens, carer support and massage.
Dry July Foundation CEO & Co-Founder, Brett Macdonald, believes the new car will make a big...
The Lionel and Joan Smith House
The generous support of Dry July will contribute to the refurbishment of the Lionel and Joan Smith house in Orange. The first of its kind in Orange, the house was kindly bequeathed to Cancer Council NSW by Joan Smith in 2017. Once refurbished, it will provide much-needed accommodation for cancer patients and their families, enabling them to stay together during treatment. Some families will need to stay at the house for up to 6 weeks at a time, travelling to Orange from as far as Bourke.
Refurbishments will include essential painting, landscaping, and the installation of safety features to ensure the house and backyard meet health and safety standards. Dry July’s invaluable support will also contribute to the purchase of furniture to...