Supporting essential self-care for Breast Cancer patients
- 21 hours ago
- 2 min read
For more than a decade, Freemasons have quietly but powerfully supported women and families navigating breast cancer through the Think Pink Foundation. Much of this support has been initiated and driven by the Lodges of the Monash Gully District, whose ongoing commitment to Think Pink Foundation has played a significant role in shaping and sustaining this partnership over many years.
Between 2015 and 2017, support helped establish a dedicated Breast Care Nurse at the Think Pink Living Centre - a role which continues to set the organisation apart. While many patients first encounter clinical support in hospital settings, ongoing access can be limited. At the Living Centre, women are able to connect with a dedicated nurse each weekday, receiving one-on-one counselling, guidance through the healthcare system, and referrals to relevant services, ensuring no one feels left to navigate their diagnosis alone.
In 2018, funding enabled the expansion of the Supporting Blokes Program into regional communities, recognising the often-overlooked needs of partners, family members and friends supporting women with breast cancer. Delivered in collaboration with local health professionals and Masonic Lodges, the program brought practical advice, peer support and counselling to men in rural areas where services are often harder to access.
That same year, FFV and Monash Gully Lodges contributed to enhancing the Living Centre’s Wig Salon and introducing physical therapies to address side effects of treatment. From professionally fitted wigs to therapeutic massage and lymphoedema support, these services acknowledge the emotional and physical toll of breast cancer, helping women maintain dignity, confidence and comfort throughout their treatment.
Supporting self-care strategies and responding to personal needs such as wig fittings and massage are essential strategies in supporting women – but wigs can cost a considerable amount of money ($300-400 approximately for synthetic and >$2,000 for human hair pieces) and research shows that out of pocket medical and associated expenses in the first year after diagnosis average $28,000.
Because of this, many Breast Cancer patients find the purchase of a wig unaffordable. Each month, the Living Centre already provides free wigs and fittings to clients, and demand for this service continues to grow.
A recent grant totalling $21,120 via Monash Gully District Lodges and FFV means more women will be able to receive care that improves physical comfort, supports emotional wellbeing, and strengthens confidence during and beyond treatment.
It is a continuation of a long-standing partnership that reflects a shared commitment across FFV and the Monash Gully District Lodges to improving quality of life, fostering resilience, and ensuring that no one faces breast cancer without support.
