Support regional cancer fighters like Lorna
Lorna had just celebrated her 50th birthday and was preparing for a new chapter in her life with her daughter moving away for university. That was until Lorna discovered a 7cm tumour in her breast.
Despite being cleared in a mammogram six months prior, her life quickly turned upside down. Lorna’s journey was not just an emotional battle, but also a logistical and financial challenge.
She made 12 long trips from Whyalla to Adelaide – a 9 hour round trip – for treatments and consultations that used all of her sick leave, eventually leaving her with limited income and a depleted savings account.
“Having to stop work was a big hit on the finances. Every trip down was petrol, accommodation, parking and food,” Lorna shared.
Our mission at Australian Breast Cancer Research is to help brave women like Lorna, who are fighting this battle, not just in hospital, but on the long drives to and from treatments, and in the quiet moments at home when the financial and emotional stress sets in.
Change lives with CAN Connect
With CAN Connect, patients can communicate with a registered nurse through a digital platform to receive education and support, which will ultimately deliver better patient outcomes, improve patient satisfaction and reduce the length of hospital stays.
Senior Cancer Nurses from Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CAHLN), Kristy Howell and Victoria Fitton, are working hard behind the scenes to develop and bring this service to people impacted by breast cancer and ease the stress of the patient, their family and their carer.
“A diagnosis of cancer and undergoing treatment affects all aspects of daily life,” said Victoria.
“It impacts not only the individual but their loved ones supporting them through this treatment. There are many aspects to consider when considering how to help ranging from physical, spiritual, psychosocial, financial and logistics – each individual is different in what they experience and, in their needs, following a diagnosis.”
Help patients access quality care
To help get this service off the ground, CAN Connect needs your help today to fund the remote monitoring kits for patients to keep track of their temperature, blood oxygen, pulse rate and blood pressure at home.
Take it from the passionate Senior Cancer Nurses who are working tirelessly on this project – Kristy and Victoria, who say, “Without these kits, it would not be possible to safely monitor our patients from the comfort of their home and CAN Connect would simply not be possible.”
Your gift will go a long way in providing kits and equipment to countless men, meaning they can monitor and self-report their symptoms to our caring nurses who will support their cancer and treatment journey.
Will you help bring this life-changing project to life and make this service accessible for those who need it most, wherever they are?
