By Michael Morrah
Auckland Hospital's oncology department is hoping people will give up drinking for a month in July, not just for their own health, but to help out cancer patients.
Dry July will raise money to improve facilities at the oncology department, which helps more than 300 cancer patients every day.
Every couple of weeks Barry Daniels spends hours hooked up to one of the oncology unit's chemotherapy machines.
He has lung cancer and spends hours in a small room alongside others battling the disease.
“There's not much to look at except a whole lot of other people,” he says. “Sometimes the rooms are pretty crowded. It's hard to find a seat.”
Staff at the unit provide around 59,000 chemotherapy and radiation treatments every year.
Patients come from as far afield as Kaitaia. But it's far from a pleasant environment.
“I think spending a bit more on the actual aesthetics would actually go a huge way to improving the cancer journey,” says cancer patient Kelvin Twist.
A campaign called Dry July aims to raise enough money to make some improvements.
Participants must stay off alcohol for the month and gather donations. All money will go towards buying new purpose-built chemotherapy chairs, installing wi-fi and giving the overgrown garden a much-needed spruce up.
“What we are trying to fund raise for with Dry July is the extras,” says oncologist Dr Kathryn Chrystal. “[These are] the extras that are not core needs for us to treat cancer patients but are going to make their experience a lot better.”
Cancer costs New Zealand more than $510 million annually, not including cancer screening services.
That figure is forecast to increase by another $117 million by 2021.
The Dry July initiative has generated millions in Australia. It's the first time it's been run here and organisers are hoping for similar success.
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