A BRIGHT IDEA BOOSTS SPIRITS
TROPICAL shirts are lifting heavy hearts at Townsville University Hospital’s palliative care centre, thanks to a generous donation by a former patient’s family.
Shamrock Hotel owner Margaret Sewell said she was inspired to fundraise after losing husband Graeme to prostate cancer just over a year ago.
Graeme loved wearing tropical shirts, partly through his friendship with media identity Steve Price whose colourful wardrobe is renowned.
“One morning when I was visiting Graeme, he was sitting up wearing this tropical shirt and it made him look so much brighter than when he was wearing the typical hospital gown,” Margaret said. “Seeing him look so bright was really uplifting for both of us.’’
Graeme died in April 2019, prompting Margaret to want to do something to not only help other patients, but also raise awareness of the disease.
“I organised some fundraising raffles and hung up a couple of tropical shirts in the bar so that in addition to raising money, it got people talking about prostate cancer,” Margaret said.
“I don’t think people realise that getting tested for prostate cancer is non-invasive; it’s just a simple blood test.
“I urge men to have this easy health check once a year. Early detection can save lives.
“Graeme was 60 when he was diagnosed and by the time the doctors found it, the cancer had spread.’’
Margaret said she, her children Nicholas and Sophia, and customers rallied around the cause.
“We managed to raise enough for 50 shirts,” she said.
“The doctors and nurses still need to have the same access they would have in a typical hospital gown so we had to make alterations to the back so they could be slipped on frontways and tied at the back.
“Some of the alterations were done by a nurse at the Mater Hospital, Linda Singh, at no cost to us.”
Townsville University Hospital palliative care centre coordinator of volunteers Marnie Coombes said the centre was delighted by the donation.