Dry July

Ms COOK (Fisher) (15:12): This month, I am taking part in Dry July. Dry July is a fantastic way to look after your own health and have a life-changing impact on people who have cancer. I led a blessed childhood with little or no exposure to illness, let alone the horrors of a journey with cancer. My venture into nursing exposed me to this dreadful disease almost immediately.

I worked for a short period as a nurse assistant before commencing formal hospital training to become a registered nurse. I vividly remember the yellow skin, the yellow milky eyes and the dreadfully thin, cachectic appearance of one of the very first residents I assisted to the shower. I had no idea what would make somebody appear like this, and remember thinking that if that was what it was like to grow old I wanted no part of it. The RN I was working with at the time must have seen the fear in my eyes, or maybe it was actual horror, and explained to me that the resident had battled cancer many years ago and that it was back and now attacking many of her organs. The picture was very bleak.

I looked after many patients throughout my career who were battling cancer, and I did all I could to make a difference while they were in hospital. Of course, like most people with devastating illness, most of their time is spent in the community, so anything that can be done to assist and support fighters and their families and friends is much needed and appreciated. That is where Dry July and its awareness and funding are vital. It is really a win-win for anyone who has signed up and challenges themselves to go dry in July.

Dry July is a light-hearted campaign for a good cause. Participant feedback suggests a range of reasons for taking on the challenge, including using the month to think about their drinking patterns. Many others report improved sleep, increased energy levels and weight loss, along with saving money they had otherwise been spending on alcohol, which are all positive experiences beyond raising money for people affected by cancer.

Dry July raises money to ease the burden and reduce the stress that comes with a cancer diagnosis. The organisation helps to provide goods and services that may not be front of mind following a cancer diagnosis, such as assistance with getting to and from an appointment, somewhere to stay near the hospital, wi-fi access and mobile phone chargers. They help reduce patient anxiety and the side effects of cancer treatment by funding services such as complementary therapies, wellness programs and wig libraries. Everything Dry July funds directly benefits cancer patients and their support networks.

For this year's Dry July, I will be supporting the Flinders Foundation, which will use this year's donation to create a comprehensive cancer care program in the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer to provide those affected by cancer with physical and emotional support, wellness and information services. The Flinders Foundation also aims to create a dedicated space in the centre built for this purpose.

The Flinders Medical Centre is aiming to be a world leader in cancer survivorship care and I wholeheartedly support these goals. In the past, Dry July has provided more than $200,000 to the Flinders Foundation and this funding has improved facilities in the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer, as well as making improvements in patient care by providing oncology massage for people who are going through cancer treatment.

In South Australia, there are an estimated 70,000 cancer survivors. While it is of course excellent news that with better diagnosis and treatment the number of those who survive cancer has increased, we also need to understand that the emotional and physical effects of cancer can have long-term impacts. Cancer can create financial stress and affect relationships and careers, and finding a return to what a person considers a normal life is often difficult. This is why Dry July is so important. There is no doubt that funding from Dry July will change lives, and I am extremely proud to be associated with this wonderful initiative.

I would like to thank the Flinders Foundation for all the work they do, especially Jane Trembath, whose encouragement has led me to get involved this year. I would also like to thank everybody else who is participating in Dry July around the country and grant them the courage to go dry for the month. You can make the choice to go dry in July; people with cancer are not so fortunate.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who has and will donate to an individual or team this month. If you would like to donate, please visit dryjuly.com.au. I would like to dedicate this journey in Dry July to my stepfather, who passed away from cancer just one year ago. My sister in Queensland and my mother have had a terrible time in the last year getting through this journey. My sister made a comment on my Facebook—she is a complete non-drinker—that she would find it very easy to do Dry July, but I have challenged her to give up chocolate. I would like to formally challenge my sister, Melissa, to give up chocolate and to particularly give up stealing Tim Tams from her children.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Dobber, dobber.