Remembering Rosemary Posted on September 21, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit “In the UK in 1998, my twin sister, Rosemary discovered a lump on her breast and was diagnosed with breast cancer at only 38 years old. Rosemary and her husband were busy parents with four kids – two teenagers Rachel and Tommy, an 11 year old daughter, Jenny and a 9 year old son, Sam. Her illness was extremely hard on the whole family. We felt powerless as we watched her endure so much pain and distress at the thought of leaving her children. Rosemary fought courageously and was an inspiration to her community. Her friends and neighbours rallied to support the family during their time of need. The locals made renovations to their house to make her life easier and raised money to send her on a trip to visit me in Australia. This was one of the happiest months of my life, we shared precious time reconnecting and reminiscing about our childhood. It was heart-warming to know that so many people were offering a helping hand where they could. Wednesdays became known as ‘Rosemary Day’ in the area and each week, for three whole years, a group of ladies would take her out for the day. They would visit beautiful and interesting places and then have dinner together at their favourite restaurant. After five years of suffering Rosemary sadly lost her battle on her daughter’s 11th birthday. It is now a bittersweet day for the family and each year on the anniversary the four children meet in the church garden to celebrate their mother. The two girls also “Run for Rosemary” in Mother’s Day fundraising marathons. As her twin sister I feel her loss greatly, it’s very upsetting for me knowing that she did not get to see her children grow up or meet her grandchildren. I know that Rosemary would be so proud of her family and how much they have cared for each other. Over the years, cancer has continued to touch the lives of friends and others around me. A couple of years ago my husband and I realised the importance of cancer research first hand when he was diagnosed with melanoma and took part in a research trial. He has since developed kidney cancer and is being treated with targeted immune therapy which would not have been possible a few years ago. I often think back to the time when Rosemary developed cancer and appreciate all the progress that has been made since then. I support the ACRF with a monthly donation and have left a bequest in my will. I know my donations go towards helping the ACRF fund the necessary equipment that allows researchers to make many more life-saving discoveries. I hope that together we can spare many families the heartbreak of losing their loved ones in the future.” ACRF Regular Giver of the Month, Ann Smith Learn more about becoming a regular giver. Share your story
Alison’s Story Posted on March 24, 2015March 14, 2018 by Carly du Toit “I support the ACRF in honour of my Mum, Jean, who died from a brain tumour (Glioblastoma) in June 2011. I miss Mum every day. I miss her even more after giving birth to twin daughters a couple of years ago. My mum was a wonderful grandmother – she would have been so excited at the thought of having twin grandchildren! While I know it is a cliche, Mum was the glue that held my family together. Her loss was devastating. She fought through two other cancers – breast cancer and melanoma – before passing from Glioblastoma. While Mum’s medical teams were skilled and dedicated, her treatment options for brain cancer were limited, and the very poor prognosis for this disease had not changed for a long time. I work in health care, and know that more research is desperately needed and it is vitally important for medical researchers to be able to plan their work, with the security of regular financial input from donors. Every amount, no matter how modest, adds up to providing that security to researchers. When I investigated various options for donating, the ACRF stood out – they seemed so dedicated to putting each dollar to the best possible use, and clearly had a great deal of respect for donations. After being a monthly giver for a short time, I decided to include the ACRF in my will. The image I have included was taken on my wedding day in May 2010, 5 months before Mum became unwell.” Share your story
