YOUR MILDURA HEALTH
DONOR STORY
When Marg Thomson heard about the Mildura Health Foundation, she immediately knew it was something she
wanted to support. The one-time Mayor of
Wentworth Shire Council has always felt a deep commitment to community activism – ‘I’ve got an if something’s wrong, fix it type attitude’ – but this time, her altruism is born from lived experience.
“Colin, my husband, battled cancer for ten years, and we had to go to Adelaide for all his treatment, we’d be down there for weeks, and it was very difficult. “We used the Icon Cancer Centre in Adelaide, and they were wonderful, they tried to schedule appointments to make it easier, but it really was hard. The travelling impacted Colin and of course, it wasn’t cheap either.” Marg was incredibly pleased to learn that Mildura Health Fund was partnering with Icon to bring a Cancer Centre to Mildura and even happier when she heard about the Foundation’s plan to build an accommodation hub for people receiving radiation cancer treatment at the Mildura Health Icon Cancer Centre. “I know what the journey is like; it’s bad enough going through the whole treatment, without the worry and cost of travel and accommodation. The more I heard about the Foundation, the more I wanted to support it.” As a former mayor and board member of various organisations charged with advocating for regional and remote communities, Marg understands the pressures people face and the compromises they often make as a result. “Choosing not to get treatment, because the travel and cost and time away from family, work, farms are too much; that is a reality for so many people and this project will finally give them options.” With an infectiously spirited view on life and how it should be lived, Marg is particularly taken by the ‘can do’ ethos that is driving the Foundation. “I think the project is a brilliant idea, there’s nothing better that seeing a community doing its own stuff – it’s what we do well here – we take control and make things happen, instead of relying on others, from outside, to fix our problems, we get in there and create solutions ourselves.” Marg’s strategic way of thinking also allows her to see the big picture – the flow on from the accommodation hub. “We are building a health system – I think there’ll be an amazing amount of treatment that they will do at the Mildura Health Icon Cancer Centre, things they wouldn’t think about now, but as more people come here for treatment, attracted by the Dr. Julie Zrna Centre, the more our services will grow.” As Marg puts it, she saw a problem and her donation is helping fix it and now she’s asking you to do the same. “The Mildura Health Foundation is doing an important thing and your donation; it will make a difference; every little bit makes a difference, and you will feel part of the whole thing. As a community and as individuals, we will be able to look back and say, ‘yeah, we built that.’ “It is how we keep a community alive – how we thrive – by doing things together.”
DR. JULIE ZRNA
During her lifetime, Dr. Julie Zrna touched the lives of many, both here and overseas. A teacher, mentor, researcher and author, Julie was passionate about unlocking the potential in all children and in ensuring families in regional and remote areas had access to support and opportunity. Her dedication to education and advocacy made a lasting impact. After Julie passed away from cancer in 2023, her husband, Brian, donated to the Mildura Health Foundation to support the development of an accommodation hub for people undergoing treatment at the Mildura Health Icon Cancer Centre. In recognition of Julie’s contribution to the Mallee and her lifelong advocacy for regional families, the Mildura Health Foundation decided to name the accommodation hub in honour of Julie; a fitting tribute to her tenacity, positivity, compassion and refusal to be defined by her illness. Once completed, the Dr. Julie Zrna Centre will expand choice and offer sanctuary to people undergoing cancer treatment. With Julie closely linked to it, the Centre should also be a place that inspires hope, forges connections and reminds us of the power of maintaining our identity and values amidst life’s challenges.
SPRING/SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2024 | 7
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