Glad to be in Queensland Cancer support milestone

OH BOY, am I happy to be living in Queensland.

My son and his partner and granddaughter are living in the UK where COVID is again on the rise.

My granddaughter is in daycare whIch can be a source of infection and my son has just lost his job for the second time due to new restrictions.

His partner is pregnant and everyday life is very difficult.

I also have a very old friend in Victoria who is by herself and who I worry about.

I talk to her often and she also says her life has become hard but that restrictions in Victoria must persist.

We in Queensland have had a Premier who has taken our best interests to heart.

Our lives have been close to normal since this pandemic began and it is due to the Premier and her team.

Europe, US, Brazil and Israel and others are all suffering from the second wave of the pandemic and weak leaders.

Let’s give credit where credit to due and to the Queensland Government which has kept us safe.

Sue Williams, Machans Beach

CANCER Council Queensland celebrated a special milestone on Tuesday – the ninth birthday of the Marylyn Mayo Lodge in Cairns.

Over the past nine years, the lodge has provided 2648 patients and their carers with 24,979 nights of accommodation.

The Marylyn Mayo Lodge provides patients with a home-away-from-home, ensuring they’re not as severely impacted by the financial impacts of a cancer diagnosis.

Equally important, patients at the lodge have access to support services and practical assistance, such as cancer counselling and peer support, underpinning quality of life.

The Marylyn Mayo Lodge is one of six statewide regional patient lodges run by Cancer Council Queensland, with others in Townsville, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, south Brisbane and north Brisbane.

Since 2011, the lodge has provided vital access to lifesaving cancer treatment for regional Queenslanders, assisting people from all over the Far North region, with people coming from Torres Strait in the north, Cardwell in the south and out to the Northern Territory border.

Patients staying at the lodge often travel from remote and regional areas of Queensland to access lifesaving cancer treatment they wouldn’t otherwise receive.

This vital facility allows patients to have the best possible chance of beating cancer and will contribute to improved survival rates long term.

Cancer Council Queensland is an independent, community-based charity, the achievements of which are made possible by the generosity of Queenslanders.

Chris McMillan, CEO, Cancer Council Queensland