Cancer survivor welcomes Tour de Cure to the Bend
A visiting peloton of cyclists have made a generous gift to Tailem Bend Community Centre, and met an inspiring young man.
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Two-time cancer survivor Liam Dont and community centre CEO Tammy Shepherd have welcomed the Tour de Cure to Tailem Bend for a visit – and a generous gift.
The fundraising cyclists made a donation of $10,200 to Tailem Bend Community Centre at a special dinner held at the Rydges Pit Lane Hotel on Saturday night.
The donation meant a lot to local lad Liam, who was first diagnosed with cancer at the age of eight.
“(My diagnosis) was a bit of a surprise, the first time, and yeah I got a bit upset,” he said.
The second time around, Liam's treatment required him to travel to Sydney for a stem cell transplant, where he spent three months in isolation.
Reflecting on the experience, he admitted it wasn’t easy, especially being confined to walking the hospital corridors.
During his treatment, Liam faced difficult moments, particularly witnessing the struggles of other children in the hospital.
He recalled feeling sad seeing some of the young patients looking frail but continuing to fight.
"There was this little girl next door," he said.
"She didn't look the best, but she still kept going."
Liam’s mum, Sharon Mansbridge of Tailem Bend, found all the treatments very stressful.
“But we're now absolutely rapt that it looks like Liam is finally clear,” she said.
“Words don’t seem enough – we’re so grateful to all who helped and to the support we received from our community.
“We’re all so grateful for all the Women's and Children's doctors and nurses in the oncology department, and also all the wonderful staff at the Sydney Randwick Hospital.”
Liam's courage through these challenging times has inspired many, with his school and community rallying behind him through fundraisers and donations.
He expressed immense gratitude to everyone involved for their love and support during his journey to recovery.
Taking a lap at the Bend before their long-haul ride are Chris Barnett, Catherine Bailey, Adam Brown and Anil Gautam; Chris Richardson, Matthew Brock and Peter Arena; Brooke Milburn; Michael Ford; and Darren Thomas. Photos: Glenn Power.
Ms Shepherd was extremely grateful for the kind donation, the second from the tour in two years.
“Last year’s donation helped us with our community passenger network to support people with ongoing oncology trips,” she said.
“We’re extremely excited about tonight; we were so not expecting this this year.
“Being in a community like ours, we don't have an opportunity for a lot of philanthropic opportunities, so to receive funding like this is extremely appreciated.”
Tour de Cure’s Discovery Tour started with a dream – a dream of a cancer-free future.
The organisation's blue-sky thinking and relentless energy have raised well over $130 million for cancer research since its coffee shop inception in 2007.
This year's tour also passed through Mannum on its way to Adelaide.
- Donate: tourdecure.com.au/donate.
