Thank you Ngā mihi nui

Cancer can be heart-breaking and isolating for the 71 New Zealanders diagnosed with cancer every day.

Thanks to you they don’t need to face cancer alone.

Your support continues to keep us running – with free expert nursing, counselling, and accommodation for those who live far from treatment – a wrap-around of emotional and practical support when it’s so desperately needed.

You’ve also continuing fund world-class, ground-breaking research and vital prevention programmes to protect our children and grandchildren from this heart-breaking disease.

Together we are making an incredible difference!

Just in the last year, together we’ve supported Kiwis with:

Over 58,000 calls for patients and their families needing support and advice

Over 5,000 face-to-face staff visits to cancer patients

Almost 2,000 counselling sessions for patients and their whanau

Over 25,000 nights stay in our accommodation by patients needing treatment

Over 106,000 kms driven by volunteer drivers taking patients to treatment

“I was a mess. Someone from Cancer Society asked if I needed help. I didn’t need to put on a brave face. It was amazing.”

Vicky was only in her twenties when she found out the devastating news that she had a rare, highly aggressive form of metaplastic breast cancer.

From that moment on Vicky’s life was “consumed” by cancer and the challenges of her life-saving treatment.

“One of the worst things was feeling permanently exhausted. You feel so useless like you can’t accomplish anything. Normal tasks that everyone just does seem so hard. I was worried people didn’t understand how hard I was trying.”

Like many living with cancer, Vicky often found it hard to talk to family and friends. Cancer patients understand their loved ones are scared too, and desperately want to protect them from more worry. As Vicky said:

“People cared so much, and they really wanted me to be ok, so I was always too worried to say anything more than ‘I’m fine’ when they asked how I was, even though I was 500% exhausted and wished this wasn’t happening. “

With your help, we’ve been able to be there for Vicky. From free nursing support and counselling, to accommodation for those living far from life-saving treatment, your support means the world to Kiwi families facing cancer. And you’re protecting future generations by helping to fund ground-breaking cancer research.

Vicky wanted to share her personal thanks;

“There are so many services that are just so helpful throughout all stages of the journey. I'm so grateful to the Cancer Society and everyone who supports them”.

Watch Vicky talk about her cancer journey here

Thank you for making an incredible difference to the lives of families facing cancer.