In the first 6-12 months after a cancer diagnosis most clients need to undergo extensive cancer treatments.
Some will need to have surgery, most will have some form of chemotherapy and many require follow-up radiotherapy, medication and rehabilitation activities. Our nurses are highly trained in oncology and are central in developing the right individualised care plans for our clients.
Many of our clients are facing financial hardship and often need immediate support in many different practical ways.
When you leave a gift you are helping us provide practical support to clients, carers and children facing extreme financial hardship
When YOU leave a gift
- YOU are helping to support around nine new clients touched by cancer each week. It costs an average $1,454 for Bloomhill to support a client for one year. That’s roughly $125 each month.
- YOU are helping us expand for the future and meet the increased demand and costs for our nurse-led and client-centred model of care.
- YOU are helping us attract and retain highly qualified and compassionate nurses and therapists to meet ever-increasing demand for our services.
'My friends were all going to uni but I was chillin' in a chemo ward': Shelly's Story
Imagine you're 20 years old, fit and healthy. You go to your GP for the 10th time to find out why your cold won't go away, and after several tests and an X-ray are told you have a disease you've never heard of: Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
You're uneasy because the doctor looks worried, but you don't know what Hodgkin's lymphoma is. After the appointment, you Google it.
“Oh f*#k. That’s cancer.” Shelly Rankin is now 21 and cancer free. She was diagnosed almost exactly a year ago, at Easter 2021.
“I just felt numb,” she says. “I wasn’t even upset. I was just like, ‘oh’.”
A week after the diagnosis, Shelly was rushed to hospital because she couldn’t breathe. There was nearly 1.5 litres of fluid in her lung and they had to be painfully, surgically drained.
Six rounds of chemotherapy and six months later, Shelly’s treatments had been successful, the tumour was gone and she was in remission. Blood tests and other scans have shown no evidence of cancer. She has six-monthly check-ups and monitors for symptoms, but as far as she knows is cancer free.
Resilience, strength and endurance: How we can help you through cancer
Step inside the gym at Bloomhill during one of the twice-daily exercise classes and you’ll find clients working at their own pace, each person working through their own tailored program and supported by peers and Exercise Physiologist Ryan Day.
Ryan helps Bloomhill Cancer Care clients through individual assessments, personalised programs, group exercise, and Pilates classes.
“People sometimes hesitate to go to a gym after a cancer diagnosis, because they are unsure of where they should start and what exercises are safe, and a gym environment can be intimidating” Ryan said.
“Bloomhill is the perfect place to come to for exercise support.
“We get to know you as an individual.
"We find out where you’re at, and there will be exercises that help you no matter what stage you are at – pre-treatment, post-treatment or beyond.
“It’s not just a post-treatment six-week program. We want people to create lasting habits and be healthy and fit long term.
"We want exercise to be as normal as brushing your teeth in your daily routine.”
It costs on average $1454 for Bloomhill to support a client for one year. That’s roughly $125 each month. Please give to our Greatest Need Fund and help Bloomhill continue our vitally important services.
About Our Charity
We are a community-based organisation and receive no ongoing government funding.
Almost 100% of our funding comes from our entrepreneurial endeavours and community donations, which allows us to provide dedicated care services to those touched by cancer.
Over the past year, we have supported more than 1,400 people and provide more than 7,120 occasions of nursing and allied health care and wellness activities at our centre in Buderim.
