April 2023 - Find out what's happening!
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Welcome to our April issue of Daffodil News for 2023.
We are excited to have successfully returned to the much-loved overnight format of Relay For Life at the beginning of this month, reaching our fundraising targets thanks to our teams and schools. Read more on this below.
We are now preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea this May, and we are excited to see many community members returning to host again. If you have not already, I invite you to register and take part in one of our proudest traditions.
These great events allow us to continue to provide essential support services to the Canberra community through our Cancer Council ACT Liaison at local cancer treatment centres, our Tackling Tobacco in the ACT program, and the May intake of the ENRICHing Survivorship program. You can find out how to access these services in this newsletter.
Thank you for being such an important part of Cancer Council ACT. Together, with your support, it’s all of us against cancer.
Yours sincerely,
Roger Buckley
Cancer Council ACT Board President
Featured: Relay For Life team Nixons5
In 2021 Makayla Nixon was diagnosed with Differentiated Adamantinoma, a rare type of bone cancer that accounts for less than 1% of bone cancers, after she broke her leg from a playground fall.
“I remember ringing Cancer Council ACT when Makayla was diagnosed, to find information on what we could do and where we could turn. It was a bit of a mind spin, and everything felt like it just stopped, it was good know what we could do next.”
This was the start of a two-year process to treat the affected leg and remove the cancer. Adamantinoma type cancer doesn’t react to chemo or radiation therapy, leaving surgery to remove the tumour as the only option.
Makayla spent 16 weeks in a full leg cast as the break wasn’t able to heal and they needed her to grow to operate. To better support her leg, she had grafting plating placed on her left tibia with six pins in January 2022. Twelve months of physio followed to strengthen her leg and prepare her for surgery and recovery. In 2023 Makayla spent 9 hours in surgery across both her legs to harvest the fibula on the right leg and bring it into the affected left leg, where it could fuse into the old tibia and give the strength of a structural bone.
Makayla has since spent time in a brace and wheelchair with ongoing physio and will need to undertake further surgeries to support the functionality of her leg and foot. She is under regular monitoring and the medical team are confident that the cancer has been removed.
“Now I’m cancer free which is the really good part!” exclaims Makayla.
Earlier this year her older brother Caleb came home and excitedly announced to the family that Relay For Life was on and that the family needed to get involved. Makayla was very excited to be involved in her first Relay For Life with her family.
Read more about the story of the Nixon family here.
Relay For Life wrap-up
Over 24 hours, from 1-2 April, we saw over 800 Canberrans take to the track for Relay For Life 2023. Thank you to everyone for helping make this the special event that it was. Your amazing efforts have raised $360,000 that will go towards local cancer support, prevention and research. There is still time to donate.
ENRICHing Survivorship
Registrations are open for our May-June ENRICHing Survivorship program. The program is held every Thursday at 1pm-3pm for eight weeks starting 4 May 2023 in Deakin.
The ENRICHing Survivorship program is a free group-based program comprised of eight, two-hour, face to face, weekly sessions facilitated by an exercise physiologist/ physiotherapist, dietitian, yoga instructor and volunteers to improve your physical and emotional wellbeing after cancer treatment.
Tackling Tobacco
Tackling Tobacco in the ACT is a Cancer Council ACT program that supports organisations in the community service sector to provide tobacco cessation support to their clients and staff and enact policy changes for their organisations. Through training, education, funding, and support Cancer Council ACT works with these organisations to reduce tobacco-related harm for priority groups in Canberra.
Biggest Morning Tea is 30!
This May, Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea is turning 30. By hosting an Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea, you’ll be supporting those who are currently affected by cancer and fund research, new treatments and education that saves lives. Gather your friends, family or workmates for a cup of tea and a bite to eat and help us celebrate!
Cancer Council ACT Liaison
The Cancer Council ACT Liaison provides support and information onsite at the Canberra Region Cancer Centre for people undergoing cancer treatment, as well their family, friends, and carers.
Patients and their supporters can drop by for a chat with the Cancer Council ACT Liaison, located on level 2 of the Canberra Region Cancer Centre, in the information bay. Dates and times will vary to accommodate a range of patients attending the clinics. These will be signposted onsite with contact details to connect outside of these times
Beyond Bank
Cancer Council ACT has been the feature charity with Beyond Bank and their Community Reward Program across February, March and April 2023.
You can help us fundraise simply by saving, when you link your Community Reward Savings Account to Cancer Council ACT.
Thank you to those who joined us for Relay For Life 2023
Not to miss:
1 May – Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea kicks off - register to host.
4 May – ENRICHing Survivorship May-June program starts.
25 May – Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea - today is the official day.
31 May – World No Tobacco Day
12-18 June - Men's Health Week
Thanks to our donor community, we can keep providing support to those affected by cancer in the Canberra community, as well as funding prevention programs and research grants.
With your support, it’s all of us against cancer.
Every minute, every hour, every day
