Use Of Funds

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For Macarthur

The Macarthur region is very lucky to have access to world class cancer treatment facilities staffed by talented and caring health professions. In just fourteen years, the 24 Hour Fight Against Cancer Macarthur has raised more than $4.6 million in 16 years to support the work of our local centres.

Here are just a few recent examples of the tangible benefits that your fundraising is providing:

  • Purchase of a 12 seater wheelchair accessible patient transport bus
  • Staff training for specialised Paediatric care nurses
  • Purchase of specialised mattresses, chairs, cushions for loan to terminally ill patients at home
  • Provision of digital TV access to cancer patients at no cost to families
  • iPads and iTunes vouchers for use by children receiving cancer treatment
  • Purchase of a highly specialised laser machine to treat bladder stones and bladder tumours – previously one had to be borrowed when needed from Liverpool
  • Hospital with subsequent delays to patient treatment
  • Three wall mounted digital monitors to be placed in the radiotherapy and clinic waiting areas of the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre to give patients up to date
  • information about running times, facilities and services available, staff on duty etc
  • Two gas commode chairs for use by patients in the new Oncology Ward and for the Palliative Care Unit at Camden Hospital
  • Funding for the production and dissemination of a DVD for families explaining the treatments at the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre
  • Funding for the production and dissemination of a DVD for families explaining the services and supports available at the Camden Palliative care Unit
  • Eight recliner chairs to accommodate relatives who need to sleep overnight at the Oncology Ward at Campbelltown Hospital to support relatives receiving treatment
  • Eight Posy Fall Monitors for loan to home based and palliative care ward patients to help avoid injury from falls
  • Funding for exercise specialists to assist cancer patients during treatment and in recovery, based on current research that supports increased survival rates.

Without your support these much needed items, and many more, would just not be available to improve the lives of cancer patients and their families.

 

Touching Tribute

The 2013 event was opened by Samantha McGarrity of Rosemeadow, whose daughter Niamh, 4, died in January after a battle with brain cancer. As the captain of Team Green, she touched the crowd with her story of Niamh’s fight.

I have experienced first hand what the funds raised through the 24 Hour Fight can do.

Instead of taking two hours to travel [to Randwick Children’s Hospital] and two hours to travel home, we were able to access PACS and Paediatrics at Campbelltown Hospital for Niamh’s blood work and port care after her treatment was complete. It was also the place where we accessed palliative care in the end stages.

Without funds from the 24 Hour Fight, these services and wonderful health care professionals would not exist in Campbelltown.

I have lived in this community from the day I was born and have seen first hand the love and generosity of the human spirit . . . and I have experienced that in abundance here in Campbelltown.

So I take this opportunity, on behalf of all cancer patients and their families to thank all of you here today for your time and your generosity; in particular the committee of volunteers who make this event happen every year.

This is not a time for sadness and mourning. The next 24 hours are about celebrating loved ones who have gone before us in the fight against cancer. It is about raising vital funds that will assist in the fight against all cancers for there is still so much to do.”

Samantha McGarrity,

Courtesy: Macarthur Advertiser (October 22, 2013)