Bowel cancer sufferer inspires couple to join fight
A POINT Lonsdale couple are putting on the hiking boots and walking their way around the Goldfields region to raise awareness for bowel cancer next month.
Prue and Xavier Fitzgerald have joined a team for the 2017 JLF Trek, which is run by the Jodi Lee Foundation, a nonprofit organisation that aims to raise money and awareness for bowel cancer research.
Mr Fitzgerald said they had decided to join the team and trek the 75km in support of their friends Jamie and Catherine Riney.
“We’re part of a team in support of a friend who’s battling bowel cancer,” he said.
“We’re just trying to raise as much awareness as possible.”
Mr Fitzgerald said the twoday trek, on September 8 and 9, would wind through Victoria’s historic Goldfields Track and the surrounding countryside of Castlemaine.
“It’s 40km on the first day and 35 the next,” he said.
“It’s going to be a bit of a challenge but we’ve done a little bit of hiking and it’s a good group.
“There’s about 15 people in our team and it’s all friends and family of Catherine and Jamie.”
According to the group’s fundraising page, Catherine was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer in late 2014 at the age of 28.
“She has been through two big operations, each time followed by nine months of chemotherapy,” it reads.
“Catherine now has secondary bowel cancer, meaning it has spread to other parts of her body.
“Funding for research to find more effective treatments, and a cure, is at the heart of why we are doing this, for Catherine and all the many others out there living with bowel cancer.”
Mr Fitzgerald said it meant a lot to them to be able raise awareness and money for the cause.
“Prue has even been baking slices and we’ve been having morning teas at work where people just donate what they can for a slice — they’re always more than happy when there are a few cakes and slices going,” he said.
You can donate to the RESEARCH4RINEY team online at: https:// app.jodileefoundation.org.au/ events/the-jlf-trek-vic-2017/ team/research4riney