Vicki Bell, McGrath QBE Breast Care Nurse for the Campbelltown region, has reached the milestone of supporting more than 1,000 local families experiencing breast cancer since she started in 2011.
Based at the Macarthur Cancer Therapy Centre at the Campbelltown Hospital, Vicki sees families from across western Sydney every day, supporting not only the individual with breast cancer but their immediate network.
Vicki provides physical, psychological and emotional support throughout the cancer journey ‘ from the time of diagnosis and throughout treatment. McGrath Breast Care Nurses continue to provide their care for as long as they are needed.
‘It’s very humbling to have been able to support such a large number of families,’ Vicki said.
‘But it does make me sad when I think of just how many people there are who need this care. I look after just one area in Sydney, so there are lots of people out there who need this support.’
‘I’ve been touched by so many of my patients,’ Vicki said. ‘People are so grateful for the support McGrath Breast Care Nurses can offer in what is such a difficult time in their lives.’ 2. Take on a challenge
Dust off those sneakers and get into training. You can support the McGrath Foundation through any number of physical challenge ‘ whether you join an existing race like City2Surf in Sydney, or the Miss Muddy series across Australia, or you create your own challenge, getting your body moving is a great way to inspire others to donate to a cause you care about. 3. Keep doing what you’re doing!
Do you have an interesting hobby? Or sell an interesting product? That can easily be turned into a way to fundraise for the McGrath Foundation. In the past, some of our community fundraisers have:
Sold prize rams at a local agricultural show
Trekked across Antarctica
Turned their entire town pink
Driven a pink tractor through New South Wales
If there’s something you love to do, and a cause you’d love to do it for, it’s a winning combination.
4. Join a campaign
This is the easiest way to support the McGrath Foundation! Every year we run a number of campaigns that you can join. Over the summer, host a Pink Stumps Day cricket game with your friends and family, or in the winter, purchase a pair of our limited edition McGrath Foundation socks and get your team registered for a Pull On Your Socks event! When you join a campaign, you’ll be provided with an easy-to-use toolkit that will help you every step of the way.
Tracy Bevan, McGrath Foundation Ambassador and Director said, ‘We’re so proud of Vicki ‘ this is such a significant milestone. Not only does it reflects Vicki’s hard work it also really highlights just how essential the service the McGrath Breast Care Nurses provide is.’
‘While many of our McGrath Breast Care Nurses are placed in rural and regional Australia, a role like Vicki’s shows just how strong the need is in urban areas like Campbelltown. To put it into context, the Foundation has supported more than 54,000 families across Australia. For 1,000 of those to have been supported by just one person is incredible.’
