We’re thrilled to welcome two new Ambassadors to Beyond Five, former patients Marty Doyle from Brisbane and Denyse Whelan from the NSW Central Coast.
Both Marty and Denyse have a strong commitment to getting evidence-based information and sources of support to everyone affected by head and neck cancer, whether that is patients and their families and carers or the healthcare professionals that care for them and raising awareness of head and neck cancer.
We look forward to working with them in 2019, and our inaugural Ambassador Julie McCrossin, to continue providing education and support to people affected by head and neck cancer.
Welcome Marty and Denyse, we’re honoured to have you on board!
New resources online
The following resources are now available on the Beyond Five website.
Your Gastrostomy Tube
Are you or someone you care for about to have a gastrostomy tube inserted? When eating and drinking becomes difficult, a feeding tube can become an essential part of treatment, ensuring you maintain the nutrition and hydration you need. But what will it look like? How is it inserted? And how are you supposed to look after it? Click on the video link to learn more.
Mouth care for head and neck cancer patients
When having chemotherapy or radiation therapy to the head and neck area, it is essential to take good care of your mouth and teeth.
Treatment can cause changes to the lining of your mouth and throat, as well as to your teeth. Radiation therapy can cause changes to your saliva, and as saliva protects the teeth, dental disease can be a problem. Click on the video link to find out more.
Personal stories
We are very grateful to everyone who has shared their personal experience of head and neck cancer with our community in 2018. These personal experiences often provide comfort and courage to others going through a difficult time and may encourage people to get their symptoms checked. See our most recent personal stories below.
Lora Winter
In January 2017 Lora noticed she had an ulcer on her tongue, no big deal, it was a busy time for her and her family and she wrote it off as stress related. Weeks went by and the ulcer did not go, so she went to her GP, who immediately sent her to a specialist. It was a Stage IV squamous cell carcinoma in her mouth. Read Lora’s story.
Carissa Watt
Carissa Watt talks frankly in this beautifully honest and in-depth account of her experience with bone cancer in her jaw.
Carissa had a numbness in her jaw following slight flu which lingered too long. Even though she was a medical student, she wasn’t expecting the diagnosis of high-grade osteosarcoma which is a rare type of bone cancer. Listen to Carissa's story.
Wally Bak
Wally Bak from Sydney had a laryngectomy in 2008. Click hereto listen to Wally talk about what it’s like to live as a laryngectomee, as well as tips for healthcare professionals caring for people who have had a laryngectomy. Video courtesy of the Western Sydney Local Health District.
Usha Salagame
Dr Usha Salagame knows about cancer. She has worked as a cancer researcher across many organisations in NSW.
She was shocked to be diagnosed with parotid cancer in 2012. “I thought this cannot be happening to me. It is such rare cancer and I had none of the risk factors.”
Usha maintained a healthy lifestyle, is a non-smoker and a vegetarian. Read Usha's story.
Grant successes = new #HNC resources Beyond Five was pleased to receive two grants in 2018. The first from the Brady Cancer Support Foundation in Western Australia will be used to develop a series of podcasts to support people affected by head and neck cancer featuring clinicians and a patient from Western Australia.
The second grant from Tour de Cure will be used to enhance the Find Support page on the Beyond Five website, where possible providing information on local services to support #HNC patients across Australia.
Thank you to the Brady Cancer Support Foundation and Tour de Cure for supporting the work of Beyond Five. We look forward to working with healthcare professionals across Australia to deliver these projects in 2019.
Our reach in 2018
21,000 new website visitors in 2018
31,000 website visitors since launch in 2016
4,600 videos viewed on average each month
778 Facebook followers
748 Twitter followers
Charity Golf Day Thank you to the Southern Implants team for nominating Beyond Five as the recipient of raffle proceeds at their recent golf day in Sydney!
Thank you to our Supporters Thank you very much to all of our supporters in 2018, from individual donors, former patients who have shared their personal stories, our Corporate Partners who provide financial and pro bono support, our passionate Ambassadors, to the many peak head and neck cancer groups who help promote awareness of our resources among healthcare professionals, patients and their families.
The Beyond Five office will be closed from 21 December 2018 to 7 January 2019.
