Helping people affected by cancer

How Adry found his place in the world after cancer

Only months from finishing high school and feeling bulletproof, high achieving student Adry Awan received the news no young man expects to hear.

After months of drastic weight loss, muscle aches and a mysterious lump, Adry knew something was wrong, but he still went into shock when his doctor said: “you have testicular cancer”. The cancer had spread to vital organs. It felt like a nightmare.

“At that point in my life, I had enough to worry about – passing the HSC, getting a date for my formal and deciding on a university degree,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to believe my doctor – it was so difficult to accept.”

As Adry faced this “new normal”, he tried so hard to maintain his study, perform his school captain duties and spend time with...

Young mum Sarah and her McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Rikki

Young mum of two boys under three, Sarah, was at the end of her maternity leave when she decided to get a baseline test of her breasts last August. She had a family history of breast cancer, so she wanted to get a test so she knew what normal looked like for her.

After that first mammogram, an abnormality was discovered and a biopsy the same day confirmed it was breast cancer. Treatment for the initial diagnoses would normally involve a lumpectomy, but considering her family history, Sarah opted for a double mastectomy which found additional, more aggressive cancer cells.

It was in her first appointment with the breast surgeon that Sarah met Rikki Hopkins, her McGrath Breast Care Nurse.

"I didn’t really know anything about having someone...

2018 Grant funding update: Mildura-based McGrath Breast Care Nurse, Louise James

In 2018, Dry July Foundation awarded a grant to McGrath Foundation to continue the placement of an existing McGrath Breast Care Nurse.

Louise James is a McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurse, based in Mildura, VIC. Louise has said, “I provide support to people with breast cancer and their families, coordinating their care and unpacking medical jargon so that each person understands what is happening. I give people time. Time to understand their diagnosis, time to decide on the right treatment for them and time to appreciate their timeline. I’m also incredibly passionate about breast health understanding and encourage people to get to know their bodies so that they know what is normal for them. Thanks to the support of the Dry July...

Dry July offering a room with a view

With the support of the Dry July Foundation The Alfred has installed a new sky ceiling to help patients feel at ease while undergoing radiotherapy treatment. By offering this room with a view we hope to be able to improve the overall experience a person has when being treated for cancer.

The caring and committed team of doctors, nurses and specialists working within our cancer services are continually looking at ways to improve their patients’ experience. The implementation of the sky ceiling panels above the radiotherapy machine will help do that. Patients could be undergoing treatment for up to 40 minutes, now they can look up and concentrate on the sky, the shapes of the clouds or the colours in the trees. It will give them something...

Dry July Foundation supporting Redkite in 2019

This week in Australia, 17 teenagers and young adults will hear the devastating news they have cancer. Cancer puts a big question mark on the present and the future. It’s scary and we hear all the time that facing cancer can feel lonely – particularly for young patients treated in adult hospitals with people twice their age. Study, work, friendships, health - everything is impacted. Some may miss a whole year of school, and others may have to deal with treatment impacts like the loss of a limb. Many young people share that on top of missing out on so much, they worry about the impact of their illness on their families.

During the weeks, months or years of treatment each young person faces, cancer charity Redkite wants them to know...

Dry July Foundation increases number of Major Beneficiaries for 2019 campaign

Following the success of the 2018 campaign, the Dry July Foundation is continuing to extend its reach to help even more Aussies in need of cancer support. For the 2019 campaign, the Foundation has added youth cancer charity, Redkite, and breast cancer charity, McGrath Foundation to its list of major beneficiary partners.

Alongside the new beneficiaries, the Cancer Council has amalgamated all state divisions under one name, with funds being raised to support its nationwide 13 11 20 support line service.

The new partnerships build on the success of the 10th anniversary campaign, which saw a new record of over 36,000 Aussies sign up, and donations topping $7.7 million for the Foundation.

Dry July participants can sign up to the challenge...

New treatment chairs for the Day Treatment Centre

The Calvary Mater Newcastle Day Treatment Centre is pleased to be able to provide our patients with a little more comfort with the procurement of two new chemotherapy treatment chairs thanks to Dry July fundraising. Not only do the chairs reduce the risk of pressure injuries for those patients receiving long treatments but they provide a place where patients can charge personal devices and a platform to support them.

Marissa Ledlin, Nurse Unit Manager of the Day Treatment Centre, comments, “Many of our patients are required to sit in the treatment chair for up to nine hours so it’s essential that they are very comfortable. Our new chairs with the silica upholstery are that and more – we call them the Rolls Royce of our chairs.”

The...

The Prince of Wales Hospital Cancer Survivorship Centre - Launching April 2019

Cancer is a major cause of illness and premature death in the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District. Every year around 5,000 people are diagnosed with cancer. More than one in three local community members will develop cancer during their lifetime.

The Prince of Wales Hospital Cancer Survivorship Centre will be located in the Medical Superintendent’s Cottage, adjacent to the Nelune Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

Constructed in 1867, the Superintendent’s Cottage is of historical significance as part of the former Destitute Children’s Asylum. The site demonstrates an uninterrupted progression of history from the operation of the orphanage in the mid-19th century, then as a military hospital and repatriation hospital during the early...

New hats and Turbans at Calvary Mater Newcastle

Thanks to Dry July Funding, new hats, turbans and scarves were able to be purchased for oncology patients receiving treatment at Calvary Mater Newcastle.

Both men and women report hair loss as one of the side effects they fear most after being diagnosed with cancer. For many, hair loss is a defining factor that they have cancer.

Helen Moore, Clinical Nurse Consultant and McGrath Breast Care Nurse at Calvary Mater Newcastle, says, “Covering your head as your hair falls out is a purely personal decision. For many people, hair is associated with personal identity and health, so they choose to maintain that look by wearing wigs, hats and scarves.

“Out of pocket expenses can be significant for people having treatment for cancer and this...