How our Christmas donations make a difference
Read how our Christmas donations are helping cancer patients and their families, plus delivering babies in Uganda and also helping young people struggling with mental health issues in Australia.
There are many ways to give back over Christmas. Giving your unused toys and clothes to charities, buying a homeless person a meal, donating your time to helping your local charity or inviting a family you know is struggling to your Christmas celebrations. The list is endless.
In lieu of gifts to our doctors and healthcare clients, Wavelength chose to give back by making donations to charities for the second year in a row. This year, we asked our doctors and clients to vote for their charity of choice and made a donation on their behalf. We selected three charities who are making a big impact to donate to - Cancer Council, Headspace and Love Mercy Australia - who all do very different and incredible work.
Cancer Council
“With your support, Cancer Council is able to continue to support cancer patients and their carers when they need it most. Thank you, Wavelength, for your generous donation.” Annie Miller, Director of Cancer Information and Support Services, Cancer Council NSW.
The Cancer Council Lodge
The Cancer Council provides support for people affected by cancer, throughout their cancer journey.
Together with doctors, the Cancer Council can ensure cancer patients and their carers receive appropriate support throughout their cancer journey. Let’s hear firsthand how this support impacts cancer patients.
Vanessa was 55 years old when she was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma stage three breast cancer in March 2014.
“Cancer Council were there when we were hit with the diagnosis when we were scared and reeling from the shock when we were bombarded with information on treatment options, and side effects. The 13 11 20 telephone line provided support, advice and information in a caring and professional manner at the start of my journey.”
“Through Cancer Council, I was able to draw up my will free of charge, which was something I knew I had to do but had been putting off like a lot of people do when I was not affected by cancer. Cancer treatments also involve a lot of additional costs; some known and others hidden. For me, it meant a lot less income and more costs so I was very grateful that I could access a one-off payment from the Cancer Council to help me pay an unexpected bill. As a survivor, Cancer Council NSW continues to provide me with emotional and concrete support through their survivorship program.”
Read Vanessa’s full story and others here.
Headspace
Just as the Cancer Council supports those affected by cancer, the crew at headspace works tirelessly to provide services that help break down the barriers young people face when reaching out to access mental health support.
Did you know that 75 percent of mental health issues develop before a person turns 25? That’s where headspace comes in - providing tailored and holistic mental health support to 12-25 year old’s.
One of the many challenges these young people face is finding or maintaining work. The Digital Industry Mentor Service, one of the many programs headspace offers, provides young people with the support to find, maintain and enjoy their work. Headspace will use our donation to pay for the wages of an industry mentor to work with two young people over an entire year and equip them to confidently enter the workforce in 2019.
“On behalf of the headspace network, I’d like to thank the team at Wavelength for their support of headspace and youth mental health across the country.” Jason Trethowan, headspace CEO.
There are a number of ways you too can support headspace and their work within the community. Most of the 102 headspace centres across Australia are always looking for GPs to work part-time in their centres (e.g. one or two sessions per week). If you are working in a teaching practice, you might consider engaging your local centre to see if they may be interested in sharing a senior GP Registrar for an extended skills post in youth mental health at headspace in the future.
Headspace has developed three Active Learning Modules that are free and accredited with RACGP and ACRRM. These modules are very engaging and interactive, plus include a host of multi-media interviews with subject matter experts, as well as example consultations with young people.
Love Mercy
The third charity we’re supporting this Christmas is the Love Mercy Foundation. Love Mercy began in 2010 in Sydney, Australia after Eloise Wellings, Australian Olympian, met Ugandan Olympian and former child soldier, Julius Achon. The foundation exists to empower communities in Northern Uganda to overcome poverty caused by the horrors of war.
Last Christmas we donated to the Love Mercy Foundation and enabled the complete operation of their Kristina Health Centre in Uganda for an entire month, covering all medical and support staff salaries, along with medical supplies.
The Kirstina Health Centre provides primary medical care including disease testing, inoculation, medication dispensation and education. In 2018 a maternity ward was added, including an Intensive Care Unit, Ultrasound, Antenatal & Emergency Services, X-Ray, Obstetrician & Anaesthetist, NICU humidicribs, Post Natal Services, a Senior Midwife and 3 Junior Midwives. Already making such a significant impact with 30+ babies delivered each month, providing mothers and their babies with the best opportunity at life from the beginning - where previously no medical support was available to them.
“Thanks to the generous contribution from Wavelength, Love Mercy will be able to continue to provide life-changing maternity services to the women of northern Uganda who would otherwise give birth with no medical support. Thank you, your contribution saves lives!” – Caitlin Barrett, Love Mercy Australia CEO.
Love Mercy Kristina Health Centre midwives
We are delighted to be helping Love Mercy again this Christmas. Our donation will support 4 midwives for a month, who will safely deliver some of the hundreds of babies born at Kristina Health Centre in 2019.
Thank you to all our wonderful Doctors and Clients for helping us donate to The Cancer Council, headspace and Love Mercy. We wish you all a very happy and safe holiday season and thank you all for the marvellous work you do.