Celebrity shoes raise money for new cancer charity

For immediate release

17 April 2008

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BOMBERS fan Bec Limb will tomorrow night finally get the chance to attend the footy and meet her favourite players, thanks to new charity, The Warwick Foundation and The Essendon Football Club.

Bec, who has spent the past three years battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – the same cancer Delta Goodrem beat in 2003 - has had to avoid crowded places until now as her immune system wasn’t strong enough to handle even minor infections.

“I'm excited about the game as the past few years have revolved around getting rid of cancer, and I’m looking forward to being and feeling 'normal'. It’s the perfect distraction from all my worries about impending scans to discover if I'm finally back in remission,” Bec said.

Young adults like Bec who are diagnosed with cancer often encounter a unique set of issues and challenges, generally feeling isolated and alone, or ‘too young’ to have cancer.

The Warwick Foundation is the first and only non-profit charitable organisation in Australia focusing on supporting young adults (18-40 years) on their cancer journey.

“I'm very grateful for all the support The Warwick Foundation has given me, especially helping me connect with other young people in my shoes. I found it quite difficult meeting others like me as I was being treated in cancer wards alongside elderly patients, and was too old to be treated in the children’s hospital,” said Bec.

The Warwick Foundation aims to raise awareness of cancer among adolescents and young adults and establish care centres around Australia specifically for this age group.

The Foundation, whose slogan is ‘In My Shoes’, will be launched at a gala dinner event in October, featuring a live auction of Australian celebrity-signed shoes. Guests will be able to bid for shoes formerly owned by celebrities including Shane Warne, Natalie Bassingthwaite, Kate Ritchie, Tamsin Lewis, Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano and many AFL players.

The Warwick Foundation is currently seeking corporate sponsorship and donations. For more information, visit the website at www.thewarwickfoundation.org.au.

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Charity profile – The Warwick Foundation
The Warwick Foundation is the first and only non-profit charitable organization (ABN 866 053 578 79) in Australia focusing on supporting young adults (18-40 years) on their cancer journey. It was founded by Samantha Lehmann, in memory of her brother, Warwick, who lost his cancer battle in March 2005 at only 35 years old.

After witnessing the care her brother received throughout his cancer treatment, she began to question the lack of support available to him and other people his age fighting cancer. Most facilities were tailored for either children or the elderly but there were obvious gaps in treatment for those in between. Through her research, Samantha discovered the survival rate for young adults with cancer has only improved by 1 per cent in the last 30 years, compared to those of children and the elderly, which have improved by an average of 30 per cent. This is in part due to late diagnoses by overworked doctors who can dismiss symptoms as ‘growing pains’.

The Warwick Foundation aims to raise awareness of cancer among adolescents and young adults to ensure they are diagnosed promptly and to improve the survival rate. The Foundation will link patients, survivors and caregivers to form support groups in all areas around Australia, create journey kits for all young people diagnosed with cancer, and advocate for the establishment of care centres around Australia for adolescents and young adults with cancer.

The Foundation’s mission is to encourage a recognition of the unique challenges young adults face on their cancer journey, to pioneer the development of effective models of care for young adults with cancer, and to provide resources and information relevant to the needs of young adults with cancer.

Website address: www.thewarwickfoundation.org.au

Contact
Samantha Lehmann
Founder
In My Shoes - The Warwick Foundation
P: 0400 907 526
E: enquiries@thewarwickfoundation.org.au