July is Regular Giving month – a time when passionate supporters are encouraged to kick-start the new financial year by signing up to make monthly donations to cancer research.
These generous Australians who make regular charity donations to the ACRF are part of a VIP group of supporters known as Partners in the Cure. They are characterised by their ongoing commitment to our work and their belief that together, a group of dedicated donors can make a BIG difference to the lives of cancer patients and their families.
I would like to sign up as a Regular Giver today.
This July, we celebrate our Partners in the Cure.
We have gathered a number of stories for you, told to us first-hand by some of our Partners in the Cure. Luciano Hespanhol has been a regular giver since 2007 – and in his words “It is important to me that my donation is done regularly because at any given time I can remind myself that I am preventing other people from heading down the same no-through road.”
“When I was 17, my grandmother was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and in order for her to be looked after, my mother brought her to live with us.
“Although the prognosis seemed positive at the start, chemotherapy and radiotherapy quickly destroyed my once cheerful grandma.
“She lost her hair and started to wear a beenie. She smiled in front of us, but when alone she cried and whispered to God for help. I could hear her praying and, towards the end, I could hear her screaming in pain. I could hear it because I used to study on the room next door. I could hear her saying to herself she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Over time, the cancer spread to her bowel. Coming back from my final exam at school, I found the window of my house open wide and many relatives were at the door. I still remember how long it took for me to realise what was actually going on.
“It was a sunny day. My grandma had died in the morning, in the arms of my brother.
“Even now, writing this email, I can’t help the tears sneaking into my eyes. I am fine with the idea everyone and everything is dying and will eventually vanish. I don’t fight this reality – in fact, with age, I learned to embrace it. But no one deserves the feeling of desperation, of being crushed alive: the feeling brought about by cancer.
“I started donating to the ACRF a few years ago. Given the high prevalence of cancer in my family, I thought it would be fair to help the on-going fight against the disease and, perhaps, avoid the abysmal suffering and powerlessness experienced by those affected and their loved ones.”
We thank Luciano for his most generous support of our work and for sharing his story with us.
Click here for more information about our Partner in the Cure program.
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