Sue’s gift for the future
Sue’s connection with Cancer Society goes back many years to her first cancer diagnosis. She was given a 50 per cent chance of survival and needed five weeks of radiotherapy treatment.
That’s where she first encountered Cancer Society. She had to stay at Domain Lodge, Cancer Society’s purpose-built accommodation across from Auckland hospital, because she lived so far away.
‘‘Staying at Domain Lodge was something I will never forget and will always be very grateful for,’’ she says. ‘‘The staff there were so welcoming and supportive, and it was lovely to mix with other cancer patients staying there, sharing our stories, and supporting each other.’’
A few years later, she faced a sudden, personal tragedy: ‘‘My husband, Keith, was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus, which had also spread to his liver, and very sadly, Keith passed away just two weeks after being diagnosed – it was a terrible shock.’’
It was a huge loss for Sue who has also lost her mum and sister to cancer. Only months after losing Keith, Sue was sadly diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Sue’s experience at Domain Lodge and her personal cancer experiences inspired the decision to leave a legacy gift to Cancer Society in her will: ‘‘My gift will help the amazing research that goes on to save people like me, for which I am eternally grateful. I am now 74 and am very grateful for all the extra years I have had.’’
The Cancer Society is so grateful to Sue for choosing to make a difference for generations to come. We know research is vital to finding a cure and improving outcomes for the 25,000 New Zealanders diagnosed with cancer every year. In 1956 we established the Auckland Cancer
Society Research Centre (ACSRC). Now managed jointly with the University of Auckland, the centre has grown to include more than 80 researchers and students.
A recent independent review into the research undertaken by the centre over the past 65 years has shown the ACSRC has made a significant impact on cancer research worldwide.
The centre was shown to have a success rate three times higher than the industry standard for cancer research globally. This New Zealand team continues to develop ground-breaking cancer therapies benefiting those facing cancer in New Zealand and around the world.
This work isn’t possible without the support of New Zealanders like Sue choosing to make a difference for future generations. After taking care of your loved ones, a gift in your will for Cancer Society means you can continue to stand alongside those facing cancer and protect the next. This article was commissioned in response to a commercial partnership. We have produced it independently, to the same standards applied to the rest of our journalism.