Cancer Council 13 11 20 – for information and support www.cancerwa.asn.au

LifeLines The Newsletter of Cancer Council WA

02.2015

Contents

Letter from our CEO2015 is now well underway, and we are hopeful that it’s going to be a year that continues to deliver many positive steps towards a cancer-free future. With your support, I’m confi dent it will.

Crawford Lodge, our home away from home for cancer patients from regional WA, has recently been given a makeover, thanks to teams of local DuluxAccredited painters who donated nine weeks of labour and paint (worth an incredible $143,000) to give the Lodge’s 50 guest rooms and common areas a much needed fresh new look.

The facilities at our Lodges have also been improved as the result of funds raised from Dry July, a fundraiser that challenges you to go alcohol-free for a month to support adults living with cancer to create better services and environments for them and their families. The new Crawford Lodge theatre room has opened, allowing guests to enjoy a movie or live music. There have also been a number of upgrades including new fans, mattresses, Wi-Fi facilities and an undercover walkway, making a stay at either Milroy or

Crawford Lodge more comfortable for guests as they undergo cancer treatment.

Make Smoking History have launched a new statewide campaign ‘16 Cancers’ to make people aware of the dangers of

smoking. This hard-hitting campaign aims

to remind viewers of the harm caused by smoking,

through information on the 16 cancers smoking is known to cause.

2015 also marks a start for us towards occupying our new home. It has been long awaited and shortly our Cancer Information and Support Services, Education and Research, Corporate Services and our Fundraising Teams will be located in one building – 420 Bagot Road, Subiaco. Currently our staff members are located in three separate areas – West Perth, Nedlands and Shenton Park. This move will be a great step forward to help our staff work more collaboratively with the WA community towards our mission for a cancer-free future.

Looking ahead, unfortunately many more people will be diagnosed with cancer joining the thousands already living with cancer. Together, with your continued support, I’m confi dent we can continue to make a positive difference to every stage of their cancer journey.

Susan RooneyChief Executive Offi cer

Lights, Camera, ActionCrawford Lodge theatre room opens!

Mission PossibleMark Borosh, team captain of ‘Mission Possible’ will be taking part in his 15th Relay for Life this year

Crawford Lodge Freshened UpThanks to the team at Dulux

BreakthroughGiving ProgramYour regular gift is a start to helping us fi nd breakthroughs tomorrow

Crawford Lodge

LifeLines | Issue 02.152

Western Australia, we did it once again!

Throughout the month of Dry July 2014, our committed supporters raised over $364,000, following over $293,000 raised the previous year! This is the month where participants of Dry July go alcohol-free to support adults living with cancer.

Funds raised from Dry July are dedicated to our Lodges and last year, thanks to your support, we were able to offi cially open our theatre room at Crawford Lodge.

Our Lodges – Crawford and Milroy – are a home away from home for cancer patients and their carers from regional WA. It is very important for us to provide the most comfortable and welcoming environment for our guests staying at our Lodges.

The theatre room is a very exciting addition to the Lodge and it

accommodates up to 20 guests to relax and unwind to a movie, acoustic music or watch live sports on the big screen.

There were also a number of improvements to the Lodges made possible with the funds raised from Dry July:

• A covered walkway at Crawford Lodge which enables guests to get to their rooms without needing to walk through cold, rain and wind

• Ceiling fans in both the Lodges – an additional airfl ow option to air-conditioning

• Mattresses replaced at Milroy Lodge

• WiFi and Skype facilities at both Lodges – guests can now easily keep in touch with family and friends in the comfort and privacy of their own rooms.

We are very appreciative of those who gave up alcohol for the month of July to fundraise to enable these great improvements at the Lodges. The funds raised directly help nearly four thousand country patients who stay in our Lodges each year in Perth while they undergo treatment.

If you would like to know more about Dry July, please contact our Supporter Hotline on 1300 65 65 85 or visit au.dryjuly.com to get involved.

Lights, Camera, Action… Crawford Lodge theatre room offi cially opens

Opening night of the Crawford Lodge theatre roomCovered walkway at

Crawford Lodge

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Cancer Council 13 11 20 – for information and support www.cancerwa.asn.au

Raising money for Cancer Council WA?

Just call it ‘Mission Possible’Mark Borosh, team captain of ‘Mission Possible’ will be taking part in his 15th Perth Relay For Life this year along with his wife Edie and son Neil.

Mark is WA’s own Mr Relay having raised nearly $250,000 over the years as well as serving on the Relay committee, volunteering at fundraising events and spruiking Relay wherever he goes.

In 2013 team Mission Possible raised $42,000 and was crowned the Highest Fundraising Team and Grand Champions at Relay For Life Perth. The team raised funds all year and Mark believes that to be the secret to success of a Relay For Life fundraiser. This team hold an annual quiz night which sells out every year. In addition to this the team sells gift certifi cates with the strapline of ‘Give a Gift of Hope.’

Mark became involved when he was asked to take part in a

‘weekend of fun to raise a little money for Cancer Council WA’. Little did he know how big Relay would become, raising over $2million each year in WA alone and how important Relay For Life would become to him and his family and friends.

Mark and the rest of team Mission Possible take part in memory of cherished friends whose lives have been cut short due to cancer. “I am incredibly fortunate, enjoying a privileged life and enviable health. Relay is a way I can appreciate what I have, it reminds me what is truly important in life and lets me give back to the community.”

Mark has a true go getting attitude and is always looking for new

ways to raise money and recruit more people to take part in Relay For Life.

Would you like to start your own RFL team for a Relay near you? Please call 1300 65 65 85 to fi nd out how!

“I am incredibly fortunate, enjoying a privileged life and enviable health. Relay is a way I can appreciate what I have, it reminds me what is truly important in life and lets me give back to the community.”MARK BOROSH

“The best part of Relay For Life is

defi nitely the incredible friends I’ve made and

I’m so very thankful that they have allowed me to

share their stories.”

MARK BOROSH

Mark and the rest of the Mission Possible team

LifeLines | Issue 02.154

Crawford Lodge freshened up thanks to Dulux We owe our

greatest gratitude to Dulux for giving a new

lease of life to the LodgeCrawford Lodge is one of two Lodges providing a home

away from home for cancer patients from regional areas of Western Australia traveling to Perth for cancer treatment. We owe our greatest gratitude to Dulux for giving a new lease on life to the Lodge.

In the middle of 2014, over nine weeks, teams of local Dulux Accredited painters donned their overalls and donated over $143,000 worth of labour and paint to give Crawford Lodge a major internal makeover.

Ron ten Hoor, our Crawford Lodge Accommodation Services Manager was very grateful for the much needed opportunity to freshen up the accommodation facilities.

“14 years at full capacity made the guest rooms and amenities at Crawford Lodge start to look a bit tired so repainting 50 guest rooms and all the additional guest facilities has been a real bonus,” Ron said.

It is a challenging time for those affected by cancer. This is especially diffi cult for a cancer patient in the regions who needs to leave the comfort of his or her home environment to travel to Perth for treatment.

“We are well aware that many of our guests are going through a challenging time during their stay with us so any additional way we can add to their wellbeing is most worthwhile.

“In fact many of our guests have already commented on how fresh everything looks around the place thanks to a new lick of paint,” he said.

What would have taken months of planning and resources has taken Dulux and their professional team of contractors only 16 days of

preparing and painting without having to take rooms out of service for many weeks. We are very grateful for the amazing support shown by Dulux.

Dulux Accredited National Account Manager, Craig Blinco, said Dulux and the Dulux Accredited Members of WA are honoured to support a key organisation such as Crawford Lodge.

“Thousands of regional patients need to travel to Perth to receive treatment and while they’re in Perth, Crawford Lodge is their temporary home. We’re proud to show our support for a facility that makes a huge difference to the lives of so many West Australians,” Craig said.

The Dulux team at Crawford Lodge

Make Smoking History’s newest campaign: 16 cancersMake Smoking History has launched its new, state-wide campaign – 16 Cancers.

The hard-hitting campaign highlights both the common and lesser known cancers that can be caused by smoking and emphasises the immediate and long-term consequences these cancers can have on a person’s life.

The campaign includes a series of powerful television advertisements depicting the shocking effects of smoking-related cancers and their capacity to take away life’s simple pleasures, such as speaking and eating.

The advertisements are highly emotive and graphic to illustrate that cancer from smoking can have a devastating and debilitating impact on smokers’ lives.

The advertisements fi nish with the line:

‘There are 16 different types of cancer caused by smoking... and you have one clear way to reduce your risk’.

We hope that this is a strong call to action to smokers to kick the habit by encouraging them to visit the Make Smoking History website – www.makesmokinghistory.org.auor call the Quitline on 13 78 48.

The Make Smoking History team would like to thank the St John of God Health Care team, which

provided valuable medical advice and crucial access to St John of God Subiaco Hospital in the fi lming of ‘16 Cancers’. Their contribution has ensured that this campaign is realistic and delivers a high level of impact, supporting our efforts to reduce the harms caused by smoking.

The campaign will be on air until 14 March in both metropolitan and regional areas and will be complemented by online, outdoor, and radio advertising. Visit www.makesmokinghistory.org.au/more-information/latest-campaignto view the advertisements.

For more information about the Make Smoking History campaign please contact Stacey Keightley, our Make Smoking History Campaign Coordinator on (08) 9388 4369 or email skeightley@cancerwa.asn.au.

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Cancer Council 13 11 20 – for information and support www.cancerwa.asn.au

Visit makesmokinghistory.org.au/

more-information/latest-campaign

to view the advertisements.

6 LifeLines | Issue 02.15

We are very grateful to our donors and supporters – people like you – who so willingly show your generosity in support of our mission for a cancer-free future. Whether the donation is small or large, knowing that your support helps bring hope to people affected by cancer is a comforting thought to many cancer patients, their families and carers.

With regular giving, funds coming through each month provide us with an opportunity to better forecast for future funding purposes. To many of our supporters, it also helps them keep track of their donation on a monthly basis, knowing that their donation is already contributing to helping those affected by cancer.

Funds raised through our Breakthrough Giving Program fund the growth of our support services and programs; vital research projects that lead to breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis, treatment and care; and also help us to promote health messages to the community.

Tim Vickridge, one of our many generous supporters, joined our Breakthrough Regular Giving Program in April 2014. Like so many, Tim has a cancer story to share.

In March 2012, on a business trip, Tim noticed he was going to the bathroom frequently. When he was referred to a gastroenterologist, it was identifi ed that there was a cancer growing near his bile duct and after further tests, Tim faced the news of a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

Since 2012, we have been there every step of the way for Tim and his family. Through our Life Now Program, Tim was provided with the Mindful Meditation and Relaxation CDs which taught him a technique to lower his temperature by several degrees when going through chemotherapy. On a fortnightly basis, Tim called our 13 11 20 Information and Support Line to gather much needed information about pancreatic cancer for himself and his sisters. Tim also accessed counselling through our Cancer Information and Support Services program.

In October 2013, Tim’s doctor delivered the great news that he was cancer free and that he had made an incredible recovery from such an aggressive cancer. Tim’s kidneys and liver function are near perfect. Tim was also able to return to fulltime work in March 2013.

“Being single with no family made my journey more diffi cult and I can’t think what I would have done without Cancer Council WA, my sisters and my friends,” said Tim.

With regular donations, you continue to provide hope to many people, like Tim. No matter how big or small your monthly donations, just know that every bit helps towards our mission to achieve a cancer-free future for our community.

As Tim says, “what I give is not a lot in the overall scheme of things, but I hope it helps in a small way. A dam starts with one drop of water!”

If you are interested to join our Breakthrough Giving Program, please call our Supporter Hotline at 1300 65 65 85 or email us at donations@cancerwa.asn.au.

Our passionate advocates will also be in your community helping us promote our work in the community. If you see one of our friendly advocates in your neighbourhood, please do stop by to have a chat.

Breakthrough Regular Giving Program: Your regular gift is a start to helping us fi nd breakthroughs tomorrow

“What I give is not a lot in the overall scheme

of things, but I hope it helps in a small way. A dam starts with one

drop of water!”TIM VICKRIDGE

From left to right: Tim’s sister Jenny, niece Hayley, Tim, great nephew Dylan, great niece Sloane and niece Asha.

Whilst it has been more than ten years in the making, the newest addition to our state health service - the Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) is now fully functional. For the past year, we have been working with the FSH team to ensure a strong presence for Cancer Council WA in this new state of the art facility.

Some quick facts: it’s the largest building project ever undertaken by our state, there are 6300 rooms in the main building – with 783 beds including 140 rehabilitation beds, 83% single rooms in the main hospital, it covers the equivalent of 4 city blocks and has 3600 parking bays.

As a key provider of Cancer Services, it will provide Medical Oncology services including diagnosis, outpatient clinics and specialist pharmacy; Breast assessment; Haematology services including bone marrow transplants; Radiation Oncology and Palliative care.

Much work has been happening behind the scenes to ready our staff and volunteers for what will be a game changer for delivering the best supportive care we can.

Our priority has been our transport to treatment service from the Lodges. With the support of our Volunteer Drivers, we have spent the last 8 months mapping our guest’s journeys in an effort to best prepare for a large number of people requiring getting to and from FSH each day, as well as continue to provide service to Sir Charles Gairdner (SCGH) and Royal Perth Hospital (RPH). With the support of Dry July, a new 11 seater mini bus has arrived and we will now be operating three vehicles most days, with a dedicated service direct to FSH. To make this sustainable, we have also needed some extra drivers and have had four new volunteers join our service.

Providing support to people at FSH is our next challenge and it’s exciting to announce that our Hospital Volunteer Program (currently at SCGH) will be extending into FSH from mid-March.

Recruitment is underway and training will be held for the new volunteers before they begin. Volunteer roles will include meet and greet, information and support provision and direction fi nding in the Cancer Centre.

We have also had the opportunity to install our second Cancer Council WA Information Centre within the outpatient area. The visual display focuses on our Compass Concept and includes a range of our patient information booklets and brochures as well as a mounted iPad that will link to our website and a new CISS Web App (under development) to help guide patients and their carers through our services. Our volunteers will also have these on hand and the app will be available to be downloaded.

The transition for patients between the hospitals may be a confusing time for some and our 13 11 20 Cancer Nurses have received a number of calls seeking support and guidance. Metropolitan transport to FSH has been a major concern and it is pleasing to note that our discussions have led to transport assistance to be provided for the next 3 months with all out-patient clinics issuing taxi vouchers to clients that meet their eligibility criteria (Pensioners, Health Care Card holders, those clients with no family/friend to drive them, unable to use public transport, little money etc).

We are sure, that although the next few months will be challenging for those affected by cancer, our staff and volunteers will continue to work hard to ensure we can continue to be a Compass through Cancer, guiding the way as the changes to health services come into effect.

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Cancer Council 13 11 20 – for information and support www.cancerwa.asn.au

Opening of Fiona Stanley Hospital

Much work has been happening behind the

scenes to ready our staff and volunteers for what will be a game changer for delivering

the best supportive care we can.

Cancer Council volunteer Margaret Brede at the new Fiona Stanley Hospital cancer centre

Courtesy of the Community Newspaper Group

LifeLines | Issue 02.15

Cancer Council 13 11 20

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My cheque/money order is enclosed and made payable to Cancer Council WA OR

Please debit the above amount from my credit card:

Card No.

Cardholder’s Name

Expiry Date / Signature

OR I would like to donate $ each month by credit card until I advise otherwise.

Please tell me how I can include a gift to Cancer Council WA in my Will.

46 Ventnor Avenue, West Perth WA 6005 Donation Hotline 1300 65 65 85

Donation Hotline 1300 65 65 85www.cancerwa.asn.au/appealPost completed coupon to: 46 Ventnor Avenue, West Perth WA 6005

Please accept my gift of: $60 $30 $100 OR my choice of $3 EASY WAYS TO DONATE:

Title DOB / /

First Name

Last Name

Address

State Postcode

Telephone

EmailWestern Australia

46 Ventnor Avenue West Perth WA 6005Telephone 1300 65 65 85

Confi dential information and support for the cost of a local call.

8am - 6pm Mon to Fri.www.cancerwa.asn.au follow us on facebook

Our Cancer Council Helpline number – 13 11 20 – is one of our fl agship services for people affected by cancer and their families.The word ‘Helpline’ has not always resonated well with the community. The word ‘help’ has been seen as denoting ‘crisis’ while many diagnosed with cancer may not see their diagnosis as a problem or that they do not need help.

In light of this, we have now changed to Cancer Council 13 11 20 – for information and support. This will remove the barriers for callers and broaden our

services and make it more relevant to those seeking information and support.

Staff members working on our information and support line are now known as Cancer Nurses and no longer Helpline Nurses.

If you or a family member is affected by cancer, please call Cancer Council 13 11 20 for information and support.

Issue 02.15 / 2448