By BRIDGET SCOTT
Families gather at unit to mark a year of service…
A BERWICK based cancer centre, which has changed the lives of residents from throughout the area, celebrated its first birthday last week.
About 50 people turned out last Friday, 12 September, to celebrate the St John of God’s Oncology Unit’s first birthday.
The Ryrie family were part of the celebration last week, including the late Pam Ryrie’s daughters, Julie and Suzie, and her husband David.
Mrs Ryrie suffered from cancer and died last March.
The Berwick resident had lobbied for an oncology unit in Berwick after she had to travel into town for treatment which her daughter Julie Anderson said this was difficult.
“It took a real strain on the family,” she said.
“Radiotherapy every day was particularly stressful.”
The Ryrie family was thrilled when St John of God announced an oncology unit would become part of its services.
To honour this and their mother, Pam’s daughters have fundraised for the unit for the past two years and were thrilled to hand over more than $10,000 at the celebration last week.
The two women are co-owners of the Suzie Ryrie School of Dance in Berwick and held a dinner-dance earlier this year which raised $10,374.
Suzie Ryrie said the community jumped on board the fundraiser for the second year in a row.
“Everyone in the community was so supportive,” she said.
“For some people it was a local charity to support.”
Tears of joy were shared on Friday after the donation was made and when head of the Oncology Unit Maryanne Burr thanked the patients for “giving her a reason to get out of bed each morning”.
“While it seems strange to celebrate, we consider this a milestone as this unit was only a dream two and a half years ago,” she said.
“Members of the community are like an extended family.”
Ms Burr thanked the patients for trusting in her and her staff while chief executive officer of the hospital Lisa Norman praised Ms Burr for her hard work.
“A good unit doesn’t happen without a great leader,” she said.
Patients as well as family and friends of cancer sufferers shared their stories with the crowd, including one woman who said the staff have given her more time with her husband.
“It’s true,” she said.
Another man, who described himself as “difficult”, said he got care that he couldn’t get anywhere else.
