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- 20 Years Of Giving
20 years of giving
Helen, Pamela and Penny's stories
From volunteering to monthly donations and legacy gifts, our supporters have shown what it truly means to give. For 20 years, special people across the country have turned their personal experiences into lasting impact.
Helen Nahas
Helen Nahas has supported the McGrath Foundation since the early days. After experiencing cancer herself, she became deeply passionate about making sure others felt supported. “I was watching the news when Jane appeared in a segment about breast cancer nurses. I had just been in hospital myself, going through cancer alone. I instantly understood how vital specialist nurses are.”
When Helen learned about Glenn and Jane starting the McGrath Foundation, she didn’t think twice before getting in touch about volunteering. The rest is history. “I began by selling $3 wristbands in support of the McGrath Foundation. People called me the ‘wristband queen.’ I’ve done face painting, gift wrapping and book sales. I’ve volunteered at the cricket, the races, the footy – anywhere I could help raise funds.”
“Volunteering for the McGrath Foundation reminds you not to take life for granted. It gives you purpose.”
- Helen Nahas
Pamela Hopcroft
For over 12 years, Pamela Hopcroft has donated to the McGrath Foundation every month. It’s a powerful act of gratitude, inspired by personal experience. Pamela was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 while living in Tasmania. “It’s a moment that changes everything. But I was one of the lucky ones – I had a McGrath Cancer Care Nurse named Marian by my side. Marian helped me feel safe. She kept me calm when everything else felt uncertain. I’ve never forgotten how that felt.”
Earlier this year, Pamela’s close friend Dianne was diagnosed with gynaecological cancer. With the McGrath Foundation expanding to support all cancers, Dianne was supported by her own McGrath Cancer Care Nurse in Adelaide. Pamela couldn’t believe it. “I got to tell her, ‘You’re in the best hands. I’ve been there.’ It felt like it all came full circle.”
“The care I had made my cancer experience feel steadier, softer. It felt like someone was holding the edges of everything together.”
- Pamela Hopcroft
Penny
Penny knows all too well the emotional weight of experiencing cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the same time as Jane McGrath, and their parallel experiences created a deep, lasting connection between Penny and the McGrath Foundation.
“Cancer is horrendous,” Penny explains. “It’s isolating. People should not have to go through it without the right support.” With this belief at heart, Penny has chosen to leave a gift to the McGrath Foundation in her Will – a legacy that will help fund more McGrath Cancer Care nurses across the country.
“I get emotional just talking about it. Seeing another woman around my age going through the same thing – it was powerful.”
- Penny
At the heart of the McGrath Foundation’s extraordinary journey is Kerry Patford, one of the original McGrath Cancer Care Nurses who has since risen to become the Foundation’s Chief Nurse.
Over the last 20 years, McGrath Cancer Care Nurses have been a lifeline in regional and rural Australia, providing expert care, hope, and support to families during their toughest times.
20 years ago, Tracy Bevan sat beside her best friend, Jane McGrath, sharing tears, laughter, and what felt like an impossible dream.
More than 20 years ago, Alison Szwajcer met Jane McGrath. Alison was Jane’s breast care nurse, a humble but unforgettable presence who entered Jane’s life when her cancer returned and metastasised in 2006.