SOLARIS STOPS IN ROEBOURNE TO SHARE CANCER SUPPORT FOR PILBARA FAMILIES
By Lynnese O’Donoghue
A familiar face at Perth Airport, someone beside you at a specialist appointment, or a quiet cuppa when everything feels overwhelming.
These are some of the ways Solaris Cancer Care says it can help Pilbara families facing a cancer diagnosis and the upheaval of travelling south for treatment.
Chief executive Tony Hume and colleague Sam Doran popped into Ngaarda Media’s Roebourne studio to speak with Lynnese O’Donoghue about the organisation’s regional visits and support available to patients, families and carers.
For Mr Hume, understanding what people leave behind when they travel for care is essential.
“You’re away from family, you’re away from community, you’re away from Country,” he said.
Lynnese O’Donoghue with Sam Doran and Tony Hume from Solaris. Photo Credit: Toyah McCarthy
“And on top of that, you’re trying to deal with a diagnosis which is scary.”
Solaris has been operating since 2001, when haematologist Dr David Joske established the organisation. Its work provides supportive care alongside conventional cancer treatment. North Metropolitan Health Service independently acknowledges its role in providing free, supervised complementary therapies for people receiving cancer care.
Now marking its 25th anniversary, Solaris offers services including counselling, support groups and complementary therapies, with a dedicated Pilbara program helping people navigate care between their home region and Perth.
During the studio visit, Sam explained that practical assistance can begin as soon as someone arrives in the city.
Lynnese O’Donoghue with Sam Doran and Tony Hume from Solaris. Photo Credit: Toyah McCarthy
Staff can help collect patients from the airport, carry their bags, get them to accommodation and accompany them to specialist appointments.
The aim is to give people a consistent contact during an unfamiliar and often stressful experience.
Mr Hume said having someone alongside a patient could also help them make sense of medical conversations.
“It’s a whole new language when you get cancer,” he said.
Staff could attend appointments, help people understand information and advocate for their needs, he explained.
Sometimes, support takes a less formal shape.
“Sometimes we’ll take them out for a meal, sometimes we’ll just have a cuppa,” Mr Hume said.
The team has been visiting Aboriginal medical services, hospitals, GP clinics and local governments to make sure health workers and families know what assistance is available.
Mr Hume said his regional travels had included Paraburdoo and Tom Price, with a focus on reaching people beyond the Pilbara’s larger coastal centres.
Sam said the organisation was working to a visiting schedule of approximately every 12 weeks, spending two to three weeks on the road.
“My passion is closing the cancer postcode gap,” Sam said.
Solaris’s published Pilbara program includes personalised support, counselling referrals, information and coordination with local services. The initiative is funded by Hancock Iron Ore and Hancock Prospecting.
Lynnese O’Donoghue with Sam Doran and Tony Hume from Solaris. Photo Credit: Toyah McCarthy
The interview also revealed how personal that work can become.
Mr Hume recalled meeting a woman with a terminal diagnosis who had asked her partner to marry her. He initially offered his old Mustang as a wedding car.
That offer grew into a wedding in a Solaris garden, with around 160 guests, food prepared by volunteers and contributions from local businesses.
The woman later died, but Mr Hume said the celebration had brought her joy during her final months.
“What a privilege to be part of those last few months with her,” he said.
For Pilbara families needing assistance now, the team encouraged people to reach out directly or ask their local health provider for a referral.
Contact Solaris’s Pilbara support service on 0484 244 526, email pilbarasupport@solariscancercare.org.au or visit solariscancercare.org.au. Downloadable Brochure