What if you could see, hear and feel the minutes of your life, or the life of someone you loved, slipping away? With cancer remaining a leading cause of death in Australia, tens of thousands are faced with this reality every day.
The Time to Live campaign has been created to raise awareness and build understanding of the human impact of cancer and the essential need for support of pioneering and progressive research. Whilst often considered a clinical and sterile endeavour, cancer research is centred around the never-ending pursuit to conquer one of the biggest and most complex challenges that exists - to ultimately give people the thing they desire most, more time with the people they love.
On Saturday, 17th August, Australian Cancer Research Foundation held the Time to Live exhibition. A raw, intimate and once-in-a-lifetime experience where a woman with a terminal diagnosis auctioned 3-minute pieces of her remaining time to raise awareness for cancer research.
A profoundly human and fleeting one-on-one encounter that offered a unique opportunity to grasp the emotional and psychological weight of living with, or being connected to someone with, a terminal diagnosis.
Whilst the exhibition is over, ACRF’s work and Emily’s mission are far from done. Research plays a fundamental role in changing the outcomes for people diagnosed with cancer, and you can be a part of that by supporting ACRF.
Continuing her mission to raise awareness and funds for cancer research, Emily set out this year to continue the conversation about the impact and outcome of cancer research.
Tackling items on what she calls her Living List, Emily invited some of Australia's top research minds to join her to not just be part of the experience, but to talk about all things cancer research along the way. The series looks at those who have dedicated their lives to supporting those impacted by this devastating disease. Yes, they are brilliant minds in academia and medicine, but what they truly are is time makers.
NATURE'S MYSTERIES - this episode sees Emily swimming with majestic and mysterious Humpback Whales as they pass through beautiful Jervis Bay on their migration route. Joining Emily in this once-in-a-lifetime experience is Professor Michelle Haber AM (Executive Director Children's Cancer Institute & Co-chair of ACRF's Medical Research Advisory Committee), a leading childhood cancer researcher who has played a leading role in changing the prognosis of children diagnosed with cancer in Australia and indeed the world.
DARK SPACES - joined by the inspirational duo of Professor Paul Timpson and Professor Tri Phan (both from Garvan Institute of Medical Research), Emily explores the mysterious and unique life of Glowworms. Like the work of Professors Timpson and Phan, here we examine the challenges and hidden gems of darkness, and how access to cutting-edge technology is allowing researchers to shed new light on the less-understood and less-explored aspects of cancer.
“Hi, I’m Emily Lahey. I was diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer at just 27 years old. I live every day with the knowledge that I won’t ever be in remission, cured or cancer free. At present, I have no known treatment options remaining if and when my current treatment becomes ineffective.
I hope this exhibit reminds us all of the preciousness of time, while highlighting the importance of supporting research that could give more time for others with aggressive cancer diagnoses."
"Because when it's gone, it's gone." - Emily