Helping people affected by cancer

Brett's Story

I had noticed a need to get up more frequently to urinate during the night. Having just turned 51 I was reasonably sure this was purely age related but mentioned it to my GP.

I had no other symptoms.

I was referred to a urologist who sent me for an MRI and biopsy, after which I was diagnosed with a rare variant of prostate cancer known as poorly differentiated neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma. I was referred to an oncologist who told me the cancer was rare and aggressive. PET scans showed the cancer had spread to my iliac bone, abdominal lymph nodes and lymph nodes in my chest and neck. I was told without treatment they would expect I would die of the disease within 2 to 4 months. I was told my worst case scenario was that the cancer...

Tania's Story

When Tania became a cancer support person for her friend Jayne it was an experience she described as triggering, having lost her husband to cancer almost a decade earlier.

Eventually, though, it became an experience that put Tania on the path to healing.

As Jayne’s companion, Tania discovered the CoastCanCare wellness program which offers free wellbeing and recovery activities for Central Coast cancer patients, their families and carers.

“The care workshops are amazing. Together Jayne and I took part in meditation and tai chi. I was attending as a carer but I found it very therapeutic for me as well,” said Tania.

Last year when Tania was diagnosed with a very rare form of neck cancer, she knew exactly where to turn for support.

“I found...

Sharon's Story

Sharon is a Gold Coast resident who is travelling down to the Andrew Love Cancer Centre to take part in a clinical trial to best support her treatment.

Sharon and her husband Ken have been staying in the St Mary’s Apartments. The apartments are a free patient accommodation located across the road from University Hospital Geelong.

With the funds raised through Dry July, the team have been able to purchase new mattresses for all the beds of the rooms to ensure the beds are comfortable for patients and their families during their stay.

Providing a comfortable – “home-like” environment is really important for the apartments as patients will often spend quite some time here.

Sharon and Ken recently spent 11 nights in the apartment as part of...

Dry July funds are providing accommodation for patients of the Andrew Love Cancer Centre

The Dry July Foundation funded the refurbishment of both the inside and outside of the accommodation at Baa-Lee Lodges.

These units are accommodation for patients undergoing regular treatments at the Andrew Love Cancer Centre.

With funds raised through the recent Dry July campaigns, the team have been able to ensure the space is kept comfortable and made to feel like a home away from home.

Recent additions to the units include side consoles. The console provides storage for patients and their families so they can unpack and feel comfortable and not like they are living from their suitcase during their stay.

Suzi's Story

As a doctor of Chinese Medicine, exploring complementary therapies was a given when Suzi was diagnosed with breast cancer just months prior to her 40th birthday.

Now mid-way through chemotherapy, Suzi credits Bendigo Health’s Cancer Wellness Program as a pivotal ingredient in dealing with the side effects of treatment, especially managing impacts on her mental health.

Suzi describes feeling fortunate that physical her symptoms seem more manageable than others she has met, including patients in her own practice who are going through similar treatments.

Initially, Suzi visited the Gobbé Wellness Centre to consider wig options, “I had lost a lot of hair after the first round of treatment and was conscious of how I looked. I had decided...

Your 2022 Dry July funds are making a big difference for Bendigo Health

Bendigo Health’s Cancer Wellness Coordinator, Jenna Sing, was recently named as the Fundraising Champion of the Year at the Fundraising Institute of Australia‘s National Awards for Excellence.

Ms Sing, who works with Bendigo Health and oversees its well-regarded Cancer Wellness Program, said she was honoured to receive the award for her role in advocating for donations to support the work she is passionate about. “It is lovely to be recognised as the Fundraising Champion of the Year, however it is the generosity of our community that really needs to be acknowledged here.” Ms Sing said.

“I am fortunate to work in a role that allows me to work within the Gobbé Wellness Centre and help local cancer patients with complementary therapies such...

Eleonore's Story

Thank you Solaris... my lighthouse during the storm of cancer! I wasn’t ready for cancer... I pushed people away a lot because I just wasn’t ready to talk about it.

I couldn’t move, I had no energy, I lost my hair. Some days, even having a shower is a big thing. And the kids, they always want you to do things with them, but we couldn’t go to the gym or other things because they were high risk activities for me and my immune system can’t cope. So I couldn’t drive them around or do their homework with them.Asking for help isn’t easy.

My cancer surgeon told me to reach out to Solaris but it’s hard to move from being a giver to a receiver. I did not know how to receive. But when you trust the knife of a lady, why not trust her words? So my...

Strength, Resilience, and Hope: The Impact of Exercise Wellness Programs on ONJ Centre Cancer Patients

Exercise services offered at the ONJ Centre’s Wellness Gym are vital to strengthening the mind, body, and spirit of patients with a cancer diagnosis.

The exercise programs assist patients through individually tailored and group exercise sessions that meet their current fitness levels. These programs and exercises are designed to build and restore strength, resilience, and hope in patients throughout their cancer treatment, and form an integral part of their weekly routine.

Senior Physiotherapists at the ONJ Centre, Clare O’Donell and Kristen Capron, worked on an educational video titled ‘VidEx’, which promotes and endorses exercise throughout the course of cancer treatment for those with a recent cancer diagnosis.

Kristen says, “In my...

Your Dry July fundraising in 2022 has helped patients living with cancer continue to have access to our world class wellness therapies at the ONJ Centre

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

Through the 2022 Dry July fundraising campaign, $60,000 was raised for exercise physiology programs at the Wellness Gym and for Psychology services provided at the ONJ Centre.

The exercise physiology team has worked diligently to increase the visibility and credibility of the Wellness Gym at the ONJ Centre, and the efforts put in have provided an environment for the service to flourish. Referral to the Wellness Gym is part of the ongoing conversation with patients, clinical staff, and doctors.

Given that the Wellness Gym is still in its growth stage, the message about exercise physiology is clear and we need to continue fostering this message to...