WERRIBEE’S Rebecca Parker believes shaving her head is a small sacrifice to make if it means more people become aware of oesophageal cancer.
Her father Jon died from the rare form of cancer three years ago after a year-long battle with the disease.
Ms Parker says her father was her best friend, and she put her life on hold to become his primary carer.
She says it was a tough year as she was unaware of any support groups or services, and had to rely on friends and family to help her cope.
“I wouldn’t put anyone through what we went through.”
Next month, Ms Parker is shaving her head to raise money to help the Cancer Council support victims of oesophageal cancer and their families.
“If the money can help one person then it is worth it. It is the smallest thing I can do to help others.”
Ms Parker says she first thought of shaving her head about a year ago as she felt she wanted to honour her father’s memory.
“I think when my dad had cancer I lost a lot of faith in things because I didn’t just lose my dad, I lost my best friend,” she says.
“When I started doing this it brought my faith back.”
Very little is known about the cause of oesophageal cancer, and the Cancer Council has included it in the ‘forgotten cancers’ project which aims to discover more about the cause of 15 different cancers.
Oesophageal cancer made the list because there were 317 new cases of the cancer in 2009, which resulted in 278 deaths in Victoria alone. It affects one in 193 men, and one in 501 women, up to the age of 75.
Ms Parker says doctors believed her father’s cancer was caused by severe reflux, a problem which often goes undetected.
She hopes her fund-raising effort will aid research into oesophageal cancer. “I want to find a cure. Isn’t that what everyone wants?”
Ms Parker will shave her head at the Featherbrook Community Centre on April 21 at an event featuring live music and a barbecue.
To support Rebecca Parker or make a donation, email beccparker@hotmail.com.
