Our Services
Helping Real People In Real Ways
There’s many ways the Breast Cancer Foundation of WA can support you and your family through a breast cancer journey. Below are some examples of how we have been able to help, to demonstrate the individual needs and where the BCFWA fits in.
Keeping Families Together
When breast cancer strikes women in rural areas, the more common challenges associated with a diagnosis are compounded with extra challenges because most treatment is only accessible in the city.
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A single mother from a remote area who was undergoing treatment. During this time, her son was involved in an accident and was placed in Intensive Care. Naturally, she wanted and needed to be near him, as well as to have access to her own treatment. To help minimize her stress, the BCFWA organised accommodation for her to stay on and support her son through his recovery.
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A young family from the country needed to be near their Mother who was receiving palliative care. The BCFWA arranged accommodation for the family, so that they could be together during the last stages of her breast cancer journey.
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Mother of five, Tamara, (not her real name) lived in Port Hedland. She visited her doctor after finding a lump in her breast. The doctor recommended that she come to Perth for further testing. Leaving her five children was a concern in itself, but not being able to bring her husband for support created even more distress. Tamara wanted to have her husband by her side but with the cost of raising five children and her husband being unemployed due to an ongoing injury, they just could not afford it. Thankfully, a hospital nurse contacted the BCFWA about Tamara’s situation and we were able to organise flights and accommodation for Tamara and her husband. Tamara had the peace of mind having a family member care for her children as well as the much needed emotional support of her husband during her stay in Perth.
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A young, single mother living with her two children in Broome was required to spend two weeks in Perth for surgery, followed shortly by an additional five weeks for radiotherapy. Unfortunately the current state government scheme that provides accommodation and travel assistance to patients, does not allow for a support person. The BCFWA was able to arrange a serviced apartment that allowed her to have the support of her mother staying with her for the duration of her treatment.
It's not always about money
- Following her surgery a Mother of two young children she was under doctor’s orders not to lift anything heavier than a loaf of bread. The BCFWA was able to arrange for a team of volunteers to spend time with the family at home, hanging out the laundry, lifting the children in and out of the car and in and out of the cot at nap-times. This family was also in the process of moving and some of our volunteers also helped with packing and unpacking at the other end, meal preparation and whatever else needed to be done.
- Sometimes it’s the small things that become difficult when you are going through breast cancer. Susan had a mastectomy as part of her breast cancer treatment. She was experiencing some physical limitations due to the surgery and given that her husband had a disability, she experienced difficulty performing some of life’s simple tasks. Susan found it painful to open and close her garage door. With limited income, she was not able to install an electric door. The BCFWA installed an electric module that enabled Susan to activate her garage door by remote control.
Expensive medication
- When Judy, wife and mother of two, was diagnosed with breast cancer her doctor recommended a drug called Herceptin which at the time, was not subsidised by the government and cost around $60,000 per year. Short of mortgaging the family home, Judy could not pay for this life saving treatment. The BCFWA started fundraising and was able to pay for Judy’s Herceptin treatment.
“The Breast Cancer Foundation of WA, through their support and generosity made my personal journey with breast cancer something I will never forget. I found the warmth and dedication of the women an inspiration. I now feel like part of a family with a bond that cannot be broken. Whether you just need someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on, the BCFWA is there to help you. Women in Western Australia are very lucky to have a professionally run organisation where the monies raised stay in the state to help those women and families in need. My thanks go to the wonderful women who have made such a huge difference in my life. God bless you all.” Judy - Perth mother Kym was just 33 when diagnosed with HER-2 breast cancer - an aggressive form of the disease. Married with two children aged seven months and three years old, she immediately underwent a double mastectomy, lymph node removal, chemotherapy and six months later started ongoing hormone treatment.
If major surgery, chemo and hormone treatment wasn't enough for this young mum to cope with, Kym had the added pressure of knowing that this HER-2 type of cancer has a significantly increased risk of developing a secondary cancer within five years than the more common oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. At the recommendation of her oncologist, Kym commenced Herceptin in April 2007. Herceptin is a drug that has been recently proven to have a high success rate in preventing a reoccurrence of this particular breast cancer and therefore significantly reduces the risk of death.
However, the powerful Herceptin is also extremely expensive - over $60 000 per year. Extensive lobbying of the Federal Government saw this drug listed on the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in October 2006, reducing the price dramatically and making it available to sufferers for less than $50 a month – a magnificent step forward for the Breast Cancer cause. Unfortunately, Kym, is one of the unlucky few who has fallen through the cracks. Women are only eligible for the subsidy if they begin Herceptin immediately following chemotherapy. Herceptin had not been clinically proven within Australia and therefore was unavailable at the time of Kym’s diagnosis (2005) and this meant that there would be an 18 month delay between chemo and the commencement of Herceptin. This small delay has left her facing a bill of around $5000.00 each month to increase her chances of being there to watch her children grow up.
When the BCFWA heard Kym's story we were touched by the unfairness of her situation and moved by her plight. Board Director and Specialist Breast Surgeon Dr David Ingram confirmed that Herceptin offered the best chance for a cancer free life, so the BCFWA felt compelled to assist and made monthly contributions towards this huge financial burden for 6 months.
“My family and I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to The Breast Cancer Foundation of Western Australia for your response to the letter I sent to you earlier this year. We appreciate that you have gone to the trouble of concerning yourselves with our situation and have kindly agreed to contribute towards my treatment against Breast Cancer. We would like you to know that this gesture has been received with the utmost appreciation.
What sets The Breast Cancer Foundation aside from the others is your focus on the individual. Whilst it is my belief that a focus towards a cancer free future and addressing the financial needs of the majority is of the highest importance, it is comforting to know that foundations such as yours exist to support women like myself who have otherwise slipped through the net.
Thanking you again for your favourable reply and endless support” Kym
Day to day needs
- A family was in dire need of a fridge as theirs had broken down whilst the Mother was going through treatment. The BCFWA was able to arrange delivery of a second-hand refrigerator that day.
- A woman needed to travel three times a week from Collie to Bunbury for specialist treatments. With the high cost of fuel and being on Centrelink benefit this was a serious financial burden. The BCFWA was able to provide a petrol subsidy which was the difference between her receiving effective treatments and compromising, thus delaying her recovery.
- We were approached by a women who was keen to attend the YWCA Encore after breast cancer gentle exercise program to help restore her mobility, flexibility and confidence. The challenge was she needed someone to care for her young children while she was away. The BCFWA paid for a qualified child-carer already known to the family to make this possible.
Creating memories
Michelle of Bunbury was first diagnosed with breast cancer as a new mum at the age of 30. Two years on, Michelle was diagnosed with advanced cancer. Michelle's wish was to get married so her friends rallied together to organise the wedding. With just one week to plan the whole wedding, Michelle's friend contacted the BCFWA to see if we could help. Within days we organised for a limousine to take Michelle and her wedding party to the ceremony and reception as well as luxury accommodation for the wedding night. Michelle and her friends have said that this touch of indulgence added something special to her wedding day.