THE CHARITY QUEEN
A cancer ‘thriver’, Olivia was determined to use her experience to help others heal
After first being diagnosed with breast cancer, Olivia made it her mission to prioritise her health and embraced wellness – both physically and mentally.
She also always felt very connected to nature and relied on it – in conjunction with conventional and alternative therapies to nurture her throughout her life’s battles.
“I feel very passionately that we need to take care of the planet and everything on it,” she once said. “Whether it’s saving the Amazon or just being kind to those around you, we need to take care of each other and Mother Earth.”
Olivia was also very passionate about the medicinal benefits of cannabis oil, thanks to her husband John, who is a big fan. “It helped me a lot and should be available for patients, particularly those going into palliative care. I feel it’s my duty to talk about it,” she said of the substance.
Despite coping with cancer, a determined Olivia always refused to be defined by the disease. “I don’t call it ‘my cancer’ it’s ‘the cancer’, ” she
said. “You don’t own it.” Ultimately, she said that living well was the key to her inner peace, a belief that sustained her until the end.
CHARITABLE LEGACY
In addition to entertaining millions and being a devoted mum, Olivia worked tirelessly throughout her life on the charity causes that meant most to her. “It feels really good to give back,” she said.
Her philanthropic work was concentrated on animal welfare, the environment and of course health and wellbeing, with the pinnacle the opening of the Olivia Newton-john Cancer Wellness & Research Centre at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital nine years ago.
After spending more than a decade raising $50 million to fund the project, the state -of the-art centre opened its doors in 2013. “It’s not just about treating cancer, it’s about treating the whole person, mind, body and spirit,” a proud Olivia explained.
A lifelong animal lover, she cancelled a tour of Japan in 1978 to protest the country’s dolphin cull and in 1979 she performed at a televised concert for UNICEF, donating her royalties from the performance for life to the fund.
In the early ’90s she became a spokesperson for the Children’s Environmental Health Coalition following the death of a friend’s child from cancer. She also promoted the One Tree Per Child campaign with the goal to have two million Aussie kids each planting a tree.
In 2008, Olivia led the Great Walk to Beijing – a three-week, 228km walk along the Great Wall of China to raise funds for her cancer centre. It was an ambitious task. “It’s one of the biggest events I’ve ever been involved in,” she said at the time. “It’s a huge step towards helping us build the cancer centre.”
Accompanied by real-life cancer survivors – or “thrivers” as Liv liked to call anyone who’d beaten the disease – as well as celebrities, including Dannii Minogue, Ian Thorpe and Sir Cliff Richard. The trek raised a further $5 million for the centre.
Perhaps one of her bravest fundraising efforts came when she performed with her good friend Delta Goodrem at her ONJ Gala in September 2017.
It was her first public appearance since announcing that cancer had returned to her lower back. The pair sang the touching Right Here With You, before an emotional Olivia told MC Richard Wilkins, “I wouldn’t be human if I wasn’t scared, but I have an inner belief system that I will get through it.”
While ultimately that was not to be, brave Olivia remained positive and proactive in supporting others until the end.
“I understand that support is imperative on what can be a very lonely journey,” she said of living with the disease. “With ongoing support I [also] know we will find a cure for cancer.”