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Why I do dry July.
As I sit here enjoying my first red wine in a month after Dry July I wonder “why in the hell did I do that”?
When I first heard of Dry July in 2009 I was impressed that the money raised was going to the immediate needs of people facing cancer and that was purely and simply making the waiting areas of the chemotherapy and radiation (oncology units) just that little more comfortable.
I recall many years ago the waiting rooms of the Royal Brisbane Hospital when my father was being treated for cancer of the oesophagus. The rooms were grey, the walls were grey, the floors were grey and the waiting seats were grey and hard.
I jump ahead many years and I was accompanying my daughter for treatment in SCGH Oncology Unit in Perth and when I walked in, as I saw the same grey dull surroundings, I recalled with dread that I hoped that in the many years since my father’s treatment, that the technology had at least improved.
So in 2009, I gave up alcohol for a month and was chuffed to see the results of the Dry July fundraising transform the waiting rooms of SCGH to include carpets, TV’s, Aquariums, Kids play areas, refreshment areas and comfortable lounges.
So as I lift my glass and salute the organisers of Dry July and those wonderful people who have sponsored me and others for this month, just take a moment to think, that while they may not have yet found a cure to cancer, we can at least make a difference to those who need the facilities for treatments.
Even if it’s just to prolong their lives for a few more weeks or months, or to clear them of cancer let’s hope that the surroundings while they have their treatment are at least comfortable.