CAN ASSIST - CAN DO THE DISTANCE!

For rural people health care is often a long way away. 

Seeking health care and especially cancer treatment often means travelling long distances away from their family and carers. That’s why we must make sure we “Can do the distance!”.

That’s the name of the fundraiser and information awareness builder that Can Assist are hosting this Saturday. 

Can Assist is an outstanding organisation that has for many years supported regional cancer patients and their families to get access to cancer care. 

And “Can do the distance!” means that from 4 am on Saturday morning Mr Chris Bowles and team members Grace Page and Alistair Page, from HealthKlinix Tumut, will be ‘running’ a massive 110 kilometres from Tumut Hospital to Lilier Lodge Wagga Wagga and are expected to arrive between 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm that evening. 

Mr Bowles and his team are making this run not only to raise dollars to assist cancer patients, but also to raise awareness of Can Assist and the extra burden of distance on country cancer patients.

Mr Chris Bowles said “The last thing anybody wants to hear is that of a cancer diagnosis. Nobody is prepared for those words. Rural community members have additional barriers to access necessary treatment. We aim to support Can Assist’s amazing work reducing the distance burden patients have, when receiving vital cancer therapy at the Riverina cancer centre, or when staying at Lilier Lodge.”

President of Can Assist Wagga Wagga Mr John Nixon said “Can Assist gives families some relief with the knowledge there is financial assistance available when needed. Can Assist is locals supporting locals”.

Dr Joe McGirr said “When it comes to health care, in the bush we are always grappling with the tyranny of distance. That is why I have campaigned for the improvement of patient travel assistance (which has been almost doubled) and why I am also continuing to campaign to eliminate out of pocket costs of radiotherapy at the Riverina Cancer Care Centre.  I want to thank Can Assist and the team from HealthKlinix for all the work they have done and look forward to seeing Chris, Grace and Alistair ‘shuffle’ into Lilier Lodge Wagga Wagga tomorrow night!”