CUPPA FILLED WITH CHEER
A TORQUAY woman’s heart-breaking battle with cancer has inspired her journey to help find a cure.
Dawn Cunningham lost her only child, Gabi, to nonHodgkin lymphoma when he was 14 in 1990, and was then herself diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011.
But Ms Cunningham wants her first Biggest Morning Tea event to be a joyous occasion.
“I’m hoping what it does for all the guests is that people realise in today’s society there needs to be kindness and compassion,” she said.
“When I see all these terrorist attacks and people breaking into homes and frightening families, it breaks my heart because I think just walk down any ward with cancer patients and wake up to reality.”
Ms Cunningham has raised $525 for breast cancer research and is hoping to top $1000 at this morning’s event in the Star of the Sea Village function centre.
By hosting the Cancer Council initiative, she is carrying on her late son’s legacy, who desperately raised funds after doctors found a “tumour the size of a cricket ball” near his heart.
“He wanted to get a cure for cancer,” Ms Cunningham said. “He was a straight-A student, going for his black belt in karate and always wanted to a pilot with the RAAF, that was his goal and he would’ve achieved it, but sadly it wasn't to be.”
After a mastectomy and having her lymph nodes removed, Ms Cunningham is now cancer free.
For more information or to donate visit biggestmorningtea.com.au.