Helping people affected by cancer

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...

Dry July Tea Trolley

Volunteers at the Canberra Region Cancer Centre run a hospitality tea trolley providing a choice of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and a biscuit for patients as they wait for treatment. Dry July monies are used to purchase the trolley supplies.

What a lovely idea!

“I leave home early in the morning to get to my appointment, so a welcome cup of coffee is something I look forward to. So appreciative of being offered tea/coffee while being treated. Thank you so much”

“I always look forward to the Dry July Tea Trolley coming around. A cuppa and a biscuit helps pass the time. Seeing the Dry July Tea Trolley come around is much appreciated and the highlight of a long day having treatment”

Continued Funding for Chemotherapy Diaries

Andrew Love Cancer Centre continues to provide diaries to patients who are attending chemotherapy treatment to assist with their scheduling of appointments both medical and personal to alleviate the stress of the complex appointment schedules. These diaries have been made possible through Dry July funding for a few years now.

Emily, pictured here, says 'During my treatment I have found the diary really useful during my chemotherapy and subsequent surgery for keeping track of appointments and phone numbers for any questions I have during my treatment journey.'

Guide for Mums with Cancer

Having cancer is pretty awful for anyone, but having cancer when you are a Mum is really different. Mummy’s Wish helps families navigate a practical pathway through treatment to help reduce the burden and negative impact on young families.

Dry July has funded the development of a Guide For Mums With Cancer which will enable Mummy’s Wish to capture all of the valuable knowledge of our Support Coordinators, like Ali, so that our Mums can easily access information when, and in a format, that suits them. The guide will also be an invaluable resource for hospital social workers and cancer care coordinators.

You can view the Guide For Mums With Cancer here: https://mummyswish.org.au/guide-for-mums-with-cancer/

MEET ALISON

Alison is one of our...

How Look Good Feel Better helped Kirsten after her cancer diagnosis

My little family immigrated to Australia five years ago from Johannesburg. My husband, two beautiful girls - aged 8 and 7 - and I love our life in Sydney and we spend our time exploring its beaches, restaurants, museums and cafes. We enjoy a healthy, outdoor lifestyle as much as possible.

When my doctor discovered a lump during a routine yearly check-up, it was the last thing I had expected. I had a good fitness regime, I was feeling really healthy and was getting stronger and fitter - I never got sick. An ultrasound led to a mammogram, which led to a biopsy, which came back as a cancer diagnosis. I was shocked and scared – how could I have breast cancer at 34 years of age? With no family history?

I had surgery and it was considered a...

Dry July Foundation Grants from 2017 Campaign have been distributed

We’re delighted to announce the 43 cancer support organisations who are the recipients of this year’s Dry July Foundation Grant Program. The Grant Program is made possible through funds raised during the 2017 Dry July campaign.

Of the 19,000 Dry July participants in 2017, 13,600 chose to directly support the Dry July Foundation, meaning their fundraising was allocated to the Grant Program in their nominated state.

The Dry July Foundation then invited cancer support organisations across Australia to submit applications to benefit from these funds. Each application was capped at $50,000, however organisations can apply for more than one project. We received applications for 118 projects, and with $2 million available in the Grant Program,...

Dry July funds chemotherapy chairs at Prince of Wales Hospital

Dry July has funded new chemotherapy chairs at Prince of Wales Hospital.

Steph, who was treated at Prince of Wales, and has since finished her treatment, was very appreciative of the new and more comfortable chemotherapy chairs...

“Theses chairs are so much more comfy than the old ones and even better – each chair has a view outside and is easy to charge device from the chair so I was able to keep up with my studies and with friends even while I was getting my treatment”.

Art Therapy at Andrew Love Cancer Centre

Thanks to Dry July, the Andrew Love Cancer Centre in Geelong has been able to offer expressive art classes as part of the Supportive Care Centre. Patient feedback on these sessions has been very positive.

“I came in feeling heavy & we are leaving feeling lighter because of the art therapy”

“The session has opened my thinking, making me look at the situation in a different and more positive way.”

“The class has allowed me to share with others and helped me with ways to deal with things”.

We say thank you !

Thanks to your support through Dry July’s generous donation, Mater has been able to provide the very best in comprehensive and integrated healthcare for people living with cancer.

In 2017, Mater urgently needed to replace a suite of pain management pumps that were reaching the end of their seven-year lifespan and were being retired. We have successfully done so, thanks to Dry July.

In September 2017 you provided Mater with $23,880 to purchase NIKI T34 Pain Pumps to provide readily available and effective pain management treatment for oncology and palliative care patients.

Thank you so much for your incredible support.

Pain pumps, or ambulatory syringe drivers, are simple to use and a reliable way for patients to control their own pain...