With increasing knowledge of the impact of a person’s mental health on their overall well-being, often people experiencing hardship hear: ‘Talk to someone’ – either to share your story, raise awareness, receive tips or gain support from those around you. There is truth to the phrase ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’, which makes results released by BP Australia in support of the McGrath Foundation very surprising.
Fifty-five percent of people surveyed did not share the news of their loved one’s breast cancer diagnosis. McGrath Foundation Chief Clinical Nurse Kerry Patford has witnessed this finding first-hand:
“People feel that to best support their loved one through a breast cancer diagnosis, they need to disregard their own needs.”
Additionally, one in ten people believe they did not cope well with the loved one’s diagnosis and twenty-five percent rue their decision not to seek support.
McGrath Breast Care Nurses can provide specialised support. Kerry accompanies the patient from time of diagnosis to the conclusion of their treatment, ‘answering questions, clearing up misconceptions…attending medical appointments to ensure patients feel supported. I coordinate patient care to ensure they’ve got the right appointments when they need them and can help to support families’.
Breast Care Nurses play an undeniably significant role in the lives of people with cancer, yet there are only 120 such positions Australia-wide.
Former contestant on The Block Bec Douros lost her mum to breast cancer in 2013 and knows first-hand the immense support these nurses can provide:
“The McGrath Breast Care Nurses really do become your best friend and part of the family. They are that bridge between providing the necessary medical information and booking in appointments, but also a shoulder to cry on…. Having this support for myself as my mum was going through breast cancer, as well as the help she provided my Father was very important, and something I will never forget.”
Recent statistics forecast that every person will, at one point in their lives, know someone affected by breast cancer. Currently though, the small number of Breast Care Nurses cannot meet the growing demand.
To raise awareness of this specialised career and the gap between supply and demand, the McGrath Foundation have released a suite of YouTube videos, highlighting the role of Breast Care Nurses and shining a spotlight on families who experience a significant reduction in stress after establishing a relationship with a Breast Care Nurse.
After her involvement in last year’s campaign, Bec Douros was eager to share her story in support of the important work of Breast Care Nurses and recruiting more people to the field.
These nurses are highly effective in providing emotional and logistical support because they often draw on personal experience of breast cancer. This was certainly the case for Kerry Patford:
“I decided to become a Breast Care Nurse during my maternity leave after one of my very dear friends was diagnosed with breast cancer. I have always been surrounded by breast cancer – I’ve got a very strong family history. It was really when these two worlds collided…that something shifted. During my friend’s treatment, I was introduced to the world of breast cancer nursing and the rest is history. I’ve since completed my Masters in Cancer Nursing and can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Grateful for the privileged position she holds in the lives of people fighting cancer, Kerry is inspired by people demonstrating strength and resilience every day:
“Despite going through treatment, they strive for normalcy, continuing to parent and care for their families.”
Conversely, she has witnessed people ‘crumble’ in response to a breast cancer diagnosis:
“…they just want to “fix” the problem and really struggle when they can’t. They show a real vulnerability. “
Kerry is optimistic about the impact of the research conducted by BP Australia in support of the McGrath Foundation
“…it helps families understand that their reactions are normal and helps to start conversations about how to move forward. The research highlights not only what the patient is experiencing during their breast cancer treatment, but also what their family and friends go through and how they need to be supported too.”
The findings add to the base of evidence showing communication as an effective coping strategy:
“Raising awareness around the importance of talking about diagnosis decreases isolation by highlighting that there is no one way to react to a cancer diagnosis and encourage the family and friends of those diagnosed with breast cancer to seek their own support.”
In the same way that you can’t pour water from an empty jug, people will be more effective in their support of a loved one if they first look after themselves:
“Patients also need to be able to say they’re scared without their loved ones feeling the need to fix it. Love, support and normalcy are what most people diagnosed with breast cancer crave as they don’t want to feel that they have interrupted everyone’s lives.”
Although families can feel guilt and selfishness when seeking support for themselves, Kerry is a strong advocate of coping through shared experience.
To that end, Kerry encourages people who are affected by breast cancer to seek out someone, whether a friend or a professional, to help with navigating the emotions associated with a breast cancer diagnosis.
To find out how you can support McGrath Breast Care Nurses or donate, please visit the McGrath Foundation website.
