Berwick resident and breast cancer survivor Sandra Forsyth has thanked a number of local businesses, friends and family members for supporting her fundraiser, which has raised close to $3000 for the Cancer Council.
Surrounded by friends and family, she shaved her head at her Berwick home on Sunday 23 July to honour cancer survivors and battlers who have lost their hair.
Mrs Forsyth was diagnosed last November with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCSI), which is the presence of abnormal cells inside a milk duct in the breast.
The process from discovering the cancer to treatment was relatively quick, having to go into X-rays and have titanium markers inserted into her breast before receiving radiation treatment.
Each radiation treatment lasted 20 minutes and involved her having to inhale deeply and hold her breath for 30 seconds to keep her heart raised above the radiation zone.
Mrs Forsyth said she was grateful for all donations, especially the two $500 donations from anonymous donors.
“Thank you to my family and friends who have given so generously to help raise this money,” she said.
“My goal was $2000, I have exceeded that and am now up to nearly $3000.”
Mrs Forsyth also thanked a number of local businesses and individuals for their help in supporting the fundraising event, including Hallam’s 3 Tier Food Services, Fyna Foods and Yumi’s Quality Foods and Dandenong South’s Selective Meat Traders, as well as Darrell Lea.
Mrs Forsyth said she hoped her journey inspired others to get checked for breast cancer early.
“Please, men and women, do a breast examination, get a mammogram and don’t put it off,” she said.
“The alternative is death.”
For more information about her fundraising effort, visit fundraising.cancervic.org.au/fundraisers/sandraforsyth.
