Bloomhill Cancer Care, the Sunshine Coast’s largest community-based cancer support organisation, has launched its ‘Be There for Bloomhill’ Appeal, calling on the community’s generous support to help provide essential services to those affected by cancer in the region.
With demand for their services doubling in the past seven years, Bloomhill is seeking $30,000 this month to assist in providing care for their 1,400 clients they see annually, with over 800 allied health care and wellness appointments at their Buderim center each month.
With approximately 4,000 people touched by cancer on the Sunshine Coast every year, receiving a cancer diagnosis can feel like being allocated a number but as Tiffany Nissen, a Bloomhill Finance Coordinator turned client herself, explains at Bloomhill you walk through the door as a person – a person with a name.
“When you spend every day at a hospital for months on end, with white walls, fluorescent lights and people who have extremely limited time to explain things or talk about things like scanxiety and coping strategies, you realise how critical Bloomhill’s services are,” said Ms Nissen.
“The donations we are seeking go directly to supporting new clients affected by cancer who are utilising our help on a weekly basis. Bloomhill’s average cost to provide nursing care support per client is $1,454 for a year, which is roughly $125 per month.
“That’s why we ask everyone to dig deep and donate – maybe even organise a local campaign in your workplace, community, or school and help make a true difference to a beloved local organisation.”
After losing both her parents to cancer and facing her own terminal diagnosis, Leanne Weyer, a stage 4 metastatic melanoma survivor, said Bloomhill offered the care and compassion she needed during her most challenging times.
Ms Weyer attended regular psychology sessions at Bloomhill, which helped her through her darkest days and she still refers to her notes and uses the strategies shown to her when she needs to.
“For me, Bloomhill staff showed care and compassion and I took comfort in knowing that I was heard, understood, supported, and encouraged through the good and challenging times,” said Ms Weyer.
This June, the Sunshine Coast community are being asked to donate to the ‘Be There for Bloomhill’ Appeal via the website or hold a fundraiser on Bloomhill’s behalf.
Supporting Bloomhill’s op shops with high-quality donations from your home or workplace is also another practical way to get involved.
Every dollar donated collectively makes a huge difference to the support Bloomhill can provide.
To find out more about the ‘Be There for Bloomhill’ Appeal and to donate, go to https://fundraising.bloomhill.com.au/donate-be-there-for-bloomhill.
