For this year’s Christmas Cancer Appeal, ACRF is sharing Simon’s story. In August 2019, Simon was living a happy life. He had a successful career in advertising, a daughter Holly who was the centre of his world, and he had just found love again with Carli.
Simon went to see his doctor for a suspected stomach ulcer and, after a series of tests, in September 2019 just before Christmas, Simon was diagnosed with late-stage Oesophageal cancer. When Simon’s Oncologist told him that cancer was a race he likely wouldn’t finish, it came as a huge shock.
Miraculously, the doctors found the cancer before it had spread to Simon’s other organs. In a trial of endurance, his treatment team hit the cancer with the highest dose of chemo possible to stop the cancer from spreading. Following chemo, Simon underwent surgery to remove the tumour and re-construct his oesophagus. It is thanks to this state-of-the-art treatment, guided by cancer research of the last 10 years, that Simon is still here to spend another Christmas with his family.
With a $2 million grant, provided thanks to ACRF supporters, the ACRF Detector at the Australian Synchrotron is accelerating the development of potential treatments for people with cancer.
The ACRF Detector enables researchers to gain answers much sooner, shortening the time from laboratory research to clinical testing of new cancer drugs. Australians diagnosed with cancer are the first to benefit from this ground-breaking research initiative.
“The ACRF Detector is a vital piece of equipment for cancer and medical research in Australia. It shows the three-dimensional structure of proteins, which do most of the work in cells, identifying opportunities to neutralise those involved in cancer and promote those that may protect us from cancer”
– Dr. Ian Brown, ACRF Chief Scientific Officer
By supporting ACRF you are backing brilliant projects that push boundaries and blaze new trails. Our supporters donations give scientists the technology, equipment and infrastructure they need to accelerate the pace of life-saving research into all types of cancer.
Help to create futures for more people like Simon by donating to ACRF. 100% of your donation before 31 December 2021 will go to cancer research.
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