High tea and high fashion in aid of cancer patients
About 140 people were treated to high tea and a fashion show in Nelson’s Morrison Square in aid of local women with breast and gynaecological cancers.
Local business people and students were among those to showcase clothes from local retailers at yesterday’s event, organised by Morrison Square and WildTomato magazine to raise funds for the Nelson Tasman Regional Breast and Gynaecological Cancer Trust.
Trust ambassador, Nelson surgeon Ros Pochin, said there were about 90 new cases of breast cancer a year in the Nelson Marlborough region.
The money raised would go towards post-surgery fitness programmes in the top of the south, and to help patients who need to travel to their appointments, she said.
‘‘Radiotherapy isn’t available in Nelson or Blenheim, so people either go to Wellington or Christchurch.’’
While hospitals will fund the journey out there and back, ‘‘a lot of these people have got young children and they want to come back every weekend, and they can’t afford to,’’ Pochin said.
‘‘And we also have patients who simply can’t even afford to make it to their oncology appointments, because when you get breast cancer, you usually stop working. If you’re a solo mum and you’ve suddenly got no income coming in, plus you’re doing chemo, you can’t afford to feed your kids.’’
More pictures, page 7