UNLUCKY enough to be battling cancer for the second time, Moree resident Amalda Fields is still able to count her blessings.
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One is that, at least this time, she hasn’t had to travel alone to Sydney for treatment as she did during her first bout in 1986, away from her husband and young children.
Now, Mrs Fields is sharing her story to make sure people know there is help available much closer to home.
She features in a new advertising campaign being launched today about Cancer Council NSW’s services, including its Tamworth accommodation, Inala House.
Mrs Fields has spent several weeks this year staying there, after her breast cancer was detected in a check-up at a mammogram bus in Moree.
She knew the three-hour drive from Moree to Tamworth would be too much while undergoing radiotherapy every day.
“If Inala House was not here, I would have had to go to Newcastle or Sydney for my treatment and that would have been much harder,” she said.
It also meant Mrs Field’s 10-year-old grandson Callum and his mum were able to come and visit.
“Callum is a blessing. I think he came the second week of treatment, and that was probably the longest I had gone without seeing him,” she said.
Cancer Council NSW accommodation and support services co-ordinator Shaen Fraser said a place like Inala House “can mean the difference between having treatment and not having treatment”.
“Our aim is to increase awareness of our services to ensure that we are reaching everybody who needs our support, and to demonstrate the positive impact Cancer Council NSW has in local communities,” she said.
The campaign also covers other Cancer Council NSW services and support, featuring six other people from across the state.
It’s a digital campaign, running across Facebook, Instagram and the Cancer Council NSW website from today.
- Read Amalda’s story here
- To find out more about local Cancer Council NSW services, call 13 11 20