AS the thirty-sixth Daffodil Day approaches on Thursday, 25 August, those who have been touched by cancer are encouraging the community to support the Cancer Council\u2019s appeal to boost research.<\/p>\n
Erin Dern\u2019s father, Russell Foster, was diagnosed with stage-four terminal cancer in 2017, and died within three months.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a big shock to us. He had been a perfectly healthy man,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe love and miss him so much. It\u2019s so important to keep his name alive and make sure that everybody understands the legacy that he\u2019s left behind, and the fight he made to try and stay here.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have two children who sadly didn\u2019t get to meet him, but I have one young man who really loves his grandfather and is very proud of him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mrs Dern and her children are keen fundraisers for the Cancer Council and their Daffodil Day Appeal, supporting the organisation to help find a cure.<\/p>\n
In the past, she shaved off her long hair, led Biggest Morning Teas, and Daffodil Day initiatives at her local footy club to generate money for the cause.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want anybody else to continue to feel the pain that we do, so if I see anything to do with the Cancer Council, I like to get involved in it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cLosing somebody who means the whole world to your family should never happen. We need to try and stop that from happening. Fundraising is a small thing I can do, and anyone else can do, to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cI encourage everybody to donate if they can, no matter how much it is. Everybody is affected by cancer, or will be at some stage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Data from the Cancer Council reports 11,360 Victorians died from some form of the disease in 2020.<\/p>\n
Cancer Council Victoria CEO Todd Harper said the illness impacts everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s why this year, we\u2019re calling on Victorians to give hope to those impacted by cancer by funding vital cancer research that is saving lives every day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery person who donates or buys daffodils this August will be helping us to continue investing in life-saving cancer research programs, giving hope for better treatments and early detection and ultimately, giving us hope for a cancer-free future.\u201d<\/p>\n