Foundation Update: Community donations set to

help people like Julie

St John of God Foundation’s Winter Fundraising Appeal is on now

Many of our caregivers will be aware of the statistic that one in seven Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Thanks to new research, treatments and early detection, the survival rate for breast cancer has increased in the past few decades, but there is always more we can do to help people in our community on their breast cancer journey.

This year, St John of God Foundation's Winter Appeal is fundraising in support of innovative treatments and comprehensive, compassionate care for people with breast cancer in our hospitals.

For St John of God patient and proud grandma Julie*, her diagnosis came as a shock.

“When I first received the news from my doctor, I felt numb," says Julie of being diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma 12 months ago.

“My husband Michael* and I were planning to travel overseas to visit our son and his family after years of separation due to COVID-19. I was looking forward to holding our two new grandchildren for the first time. But breast cancer forced us to put all of this on hold."

For people like Julie, a breast cancer diagnosis can mean life is turned upside down while they undergo scans, tests, surgery, and for many patients, weeks and weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. This can also bring immense feelings of distress and anxiety to them and their loved ones.

Fortunately, Julie was eligible for Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) - an amazing new technology that was funded at her local hospital thanks to generous donations. IORT means that radiation can be delivered in a single dose during surgery, instead of multiple radiation sessions.

“Not having to go through weeks of radiation greatly reduced my stress and anxiety during treatment," Julie says.

“However, in the months following, I did develop anxiety about my diagnosis and follow up medication."

Following treatment, Julie was also able to access a donorfunded Wellness After Breast Cancer Clinic at her local hospital.

“I was immediately reassured," she says.

“I was able to meet one-on-one with a Breast Care Nurse and talk about everything that was worrying me, and they gave me support and resources to help me stay on track during my recovery."

“I feel very lucky because I know that without IORT and the Wellness After Breast Cancer Clinic, my experience could have been very different."

Donations to our Winter Appeal will ensure we can continue to bring world-class breast cancer treatments and compassionate care to St John of God Health Care patients all over Australia. Find out more here: www.sjogfoundation.org.au.

*Names and images changed to protect family's privacy