Save kids like my 5y.o. niece from cancer
Donation protected
A New Year’s Resolution to Raise Money for the Kids Cancer Project
Quick version: Inspired by both my five year old niece and good friend's cancer diagnosis this year, I'm going clean for cancer by not having a single drop of alcohol in 2019. I'm donating the $1500 I save on drinking for the year to the Kids Cancer Project and hoping you'll sponsor me to help reach $15,000!
Long version:
I’ve decided to do the year 2019 a little differently to the last 20. First a little backstory to set the context. 2018 was not a good year for cancer in my immediate circle. My dear 5 year old niece was struck down with awful abdomen pain in January, only for this to be discovered as a type of kidney cancer known as a Wilms tumor. After an operation, many days in Randwick children’s hospital and 15 rounds of chemotherapy later, thankfully she is on the road to recovery. Then four months later, one of my good friends was diagnosed with breast cancer at the very young age of just 35. Luckily this was caught relatively early and she was able to avoid chemo, but not until after a mastectomy and all the mental trauma that goes with facing mortality and the realities of going through the breast cancer survival process. Cancer for me is quite personal, given my own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 44 and my father with prostate cancer at 55. Having subsequently lost both to cancer I can safely say that it is something never far from my thoughts. So in July of this year I formulaled this idea and made a decision to do it for 2019.
For me this is a radical change which I'm doing in order to raise money for cancer research, raise awareness of alcohol's links to cancer and inspire others to make changes who are interested in staving off their own potential cancer story. If you know me well, then you know I still like a night out, which would involve alcohol consumed at levels considered carcinogenic (more than 3 units of alcohol) and therefore linked to cancer (facts below). I would say like most people, alcohol consumption is intrinsically linked with many of my social activities. So for 365 days next year I won’t be drinking a drop of alcohol along with any other group 1 carcinogens that usually come with it (tobacco smoking & processed meat) to prove to myself and to others that life can be just as much fun when giving up any regular vice for an extended period of time. With the money I save from 12 months of not drinking alcohol I’m donating this to the Kids Cancer Project which has been chosen by my sister (my niece's mum). Each month I’ll be adding $125 AUD to the fund to total $1500 for the entire year. I’m inviting you to follow my journey and match or contribute to my fundraising efforts. My goal is to raise $15,000 by 31st December 2019. Funding for kids cancer receives only roughly 4% of Federal funding yet is the #1 cause of death in kids by disease. The Kids Cancer Project funds some amazing projects that look for alternative treatments that reduce toxicity which can have terrible effects on kids later in life.
Kids Cancer Project
The causes of cancer in children is not really understood. Kids aren't affected by the types of lifestyle choices that adults are. This means prevention is not possible and different drugs are desperately needed that don't produce the toxic downstream effects that Chemo drugs can produce. The Kids Cancer Project is a well respected project in Australia that funds scientific research to help children with many types of cancers. Their mission is to support bold projects that have the greatest chance of achieving their vision of one hundred percent survival for children with cancer while eradicating the harmful impacts treatment can bring. More about their research strategy can be found here https://www.thekidscancerproject.org.au/research/research-strategy
Why alcohol?
I chose alcohol not only due to its links with cancer when consumed over daily recommended limits (let’s face it, most young people under 40 consume over these limits on an average weekend), but also due to it being a gateway to other cancer related lifestyle choices. I’m also intensely curious to understand how my enjoyment of social activities will change and recalibrate after doing this for such a long period.
For some, giving up alcohol for 12 months won’t be so radical I realise, but for many it will be, and these are the people I hope to inspire over this period. If you’ve ever considered what life might be like without alcohol, or any vice that you may rely on to relax or socialise, then perhaps you’d like to join me on this journey or even replicate my funding model. The more the merrier! It doesn’t have to be alcohol, maybe you’d like to give up smoking (#1 cause of cancer) or meat for example (also linked to cancer!) and help the environment, or something completely different.
And realizing that an empty space needs to be filled with something new, I am starting a blog, a young person's guide to preventing cancer, which you can follow for easy tips and things you can do to prevent cancer. As well as follow my progress!
And of course if you would like to donate you can do so here!
Further reading
Group 1 Carcinogen list - American Cancer Society
Alcohol and cancer - Cancer Council Australia
Alcohol and tobacco use - NIH
Quick version: Inspired by both my five year old niece and good friend's cancer diagnosis this year, I'm going clean for cancer by not having a single drop of alcohol in 2019. I'm donating the $1500 I save on drinking for the year to the Kids Cancer Project and hoping you'll sponsor me to help reach $15,000!
Long version:
I’ve decided to do the year 2019 a little differently to the last 20. First a little backstory to set the context. 2018 was not a good year for cancer in my immediate circle. My dear 5 year old niece was struck down with awful abdomen pain in January, only for this to be discovered as a type of kidney cancer known as a Wilms tumor. After an operation, many days in Randwick children’s hospital and 15 rounds of chemotherapy later, thankfully she is on the road to recovery. Then four months later, one of my good friends was diagnosed with breast cancer at the very young age of just 35. Luckily this was caught relatively early and she was able to avoid chemo, but not until after a mastectomy and all the mental trauma that goes with facing mortality and the realities of going through the breast cancer survival process. Cancer for me is quite personal, given my own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at 44 and my father with prostate cancer at 55. Having subsequently lost both to cancer I can safely say that it is something never far from my thoughts. So in July of this year I formulaled this idea and made a decision to do it for 2019.
For me this is a radical change which I'm doing in order to raise money for cancer research, raise awareness of alcohol's links to cancer and inspire others to make changes who are interested in staving off their own potential cancer story. If you know me well, then you know I still like a night out, which would involve alcohol consumed at levels considered carcinogenic (more than 3 units of alcohol) and therefore linked to cancer (facts below). I would say like most people, alcohol consumption is intrinsically linked with many of my social activities. So for 365 days next year I won’t be drinking a drop of alcohol along with any other group 1 carcinogens that usually come with it (tobacco smoking & processed meat) to prove to myself and to others that life can be just as much fun when giving up any regular vice for an extended period of time. With the money I save from 12 months of not drinking alcohol I’m donating this to the Kids Cancer Project which has been chosen by my sister (my niece's mum). Each month I’ll be adding $125 AUD to the fund to total $1500 for the entire year. I’m inviting you to follow my journey and match or contribute to my fundraising efforts. My goal is to raise $15,000 by 31st December 2019. Funding for kids cancer receives only roughly 4% of Federal funding yet is the #1 cause of death in kids by disease. The Kids Cancer Project funds some amazing projects that look for alternative treatments that reduce toxicity which can have terrible effects on kids later in life.
Kids Cancer Project
The causes of cancer in children is not really understood. Kids aren't affected by the types of lifestyle choices that adults are. This means prevention is not possible and different drugs are desperately needed that don't produce the toxic downstream effects that Chemo drugs can produce. The Kids Cancer Project is a well respected project in Australia that funds scientific research to help children with many types of cancers. Their mission is to support bold projects that have the greatest chance of achieving their vision of one hundred percent survival for children with cancer while eradicating the harmful impacts treatment can bring. More about their research strategy can be found here https://www.thekidscancerproject.org.au/research/research-strategy
Why alcohol?
I chose alcohol not only due to its links with cancer when consumed over daily recommended limits (let’s face it, most young people under 40 consume over these limits on an average weekend), but also due to it being a gateway to other cancer related lifestyle choices. I’m also intensely curious to understand how my enjoyment of social activities will change and recalibrate after doing this for such a long period.
For some, giving up alcohol for 12 months won’t be so radical I realise, but for many it will be, and these are the people I hope to inspire over this period. If you’ve ever considered what life might be like without alcohol, or any vice that you may rely on to relax or socialise, then perhaps you’d like to join me on this journey or even replicate my funding model. The more the merrier! It doesn’t have to be alcohol, maybe you’d like to give up smoking (#1 cause of cancer) or meat for example (also linked to cancer!) and help the environment, or something completely different.
And realizing that an empty space needs to be filled with something new, I am starting a blog, a young person's guide to preventing cancer, which you can follow for easy tips and things you can do to prevent cancer. As well as follow my progress!
And of course if you would like to donate you can do so here!
Further reading
Group 1 Carcinogen list - American Cancer Society
Alcohol and cancer - Cancer Council Australia
Alcohol and tobacco use - NIH
Organizer
Ed Burrows
Organizer
Coogee, NSW