Pictured above: Marina Berry (centre) with her family.
For Marina Berry, Christmas 2019 is not one she wants to remember.
At a time when she would usually be decorating her Christmas tree and celebrating the festive season with loved ones, Marina was instead dealing with the devastating news that she had B-cell lymphoma and was recovering from surgery to remove the lump from her small intestine.
Despite just purchasing a new home and starting a new job as an education assistant, Marina was unable to work for over four months while undergoing life-saving treatment.
With a family to support, Marina urgently needed financial assistance to keep her head above water.
“I hadn’t accumulated enough sick leave to get me through the long absence and the longer I was in hospital, the more I worried,” Marina says.
Thanks to generous donations made in the past, we were able to provide vital practical and emotional support for Marina when she needed it most so that she could focus on the most important thing – her recovery.
She received financial assistance to help keep food on the table for her family and also borrowed wigs and head scarves from our Wig Service to combat the distress of losing hair during chemotherapy.
“The support I received from Cancer Council WA helped me to keep my dignity in a time of crisis.”
Pictured above: Marina Berry before and after using the Wig Service.
Sadly, every day another 33 West Australians will hear the words “you have cancer”, which means there are many more stories like Marina’s. During this difficult time, patients and their families often need additional emotional and financial support to help them get through each day.
If you can, please send a generous gift to help keep food on the table for cancer-impacted families, like Marina’s.
Your generosity will be a compassionate Christmas gift to West Australian families affected by cancer.
