Cancer touches everyone. Your support can too.
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Donate and make a difference – it’s something that sounds so simple but has a significant impact.
It’s also the rallying cry of Cancer Council ACT as they call for more donations to help them continue to fund local life-saving cancer research, empower Canberrans to reduce their cancer risk and to support local individuals and families when they need it the most. Because when it comes to cancer, there aren’t many lives that haven’t been impacted by a diagnosis.
Whether it’s a colleague, friend or family member, cancer is one of the most common diseases in the world, and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. And with the prediction that by 2040, 1.9 million Australians will be living with, or beyond, cancer, it has a ripple effect that goes beyond the individual who is diagnosed.
That’s why Cancer Council ACT is asking for help; so that they can continue to bring hope and support to cancer patients and their carers through their local support services – like their ENHANCE Wellbeing programs.
Originally launched in 2023, the suite of programs (which range from Mat Pilates classes to Guided Drawing and Mindfulness sessions) help patients manage their cancer journey through complementary therapy sessions aimed at improving overall health and wellbeing.
Open to anyone affected by cancer in the ACT and surrounding regions (whether it’s during a diagnosis, treatment or even post-treatment), they are currently available at no cost to the attendees thanks to the support of donors.
Flourishing since its launch thanks to the support of the community, in the last two years, the ENHANCE program has significantly broadened its offerings to meet the wide range of needs of its clients.
Cancer Council ACT can’t do it without the community’s generous support.
Providing a welcoming space to share experiences with others who understand the challenges of a cancer diagnosis and treatment; as, for many people, the side effects are often a price to pay – isolating, physically and emotionally demanding.
The ENHANCE Wellbeing program serves to fill a gap in care, providing vital support to those experiencing these challenges. For Canberra local Ianon, the ENHANCE Wellbeing program has made a huge difference in her journey.
Diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time in 2018, Ianon underwent multiple surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy. The experience was both emotionally and physically taxing and she says that she didn’t feel that anyone around her truly understood what she had gone through.
In search of support and connection, it was when she discovered the ENHANCE Wellbeing program, which offered her the opportunity to move her body in a supportive way and introduced her to a community of people who truly understood her, that things began to change.
“Going to Yoga and Walks n Talks every week gives me something to look forward to, and speaking with others who have had a cancer experience has been therapeutic,” she says.
Helping to improve the general health and wellbeing of patients and their carers – a small donation can go a long way to help.
Relying on the kindness and commitment of the local community to provide these support services and to support people like Ianon, everything raised in the ACT, stays in the ACT to help alleviate the impact of cancer for our community.
Because it’s not one person who fights cancer. It’s everyone.
This tax season, make a donation by 30 June, so that we can continue supporting those impacted by cancer in the Canberra community. To donate, visit actcancer.org
