After losing her husband Stewart to pancreatic cancer, Jenny Murtagh and her daughter Sarah Vickers founded Stewart’s Wish to carry out his desire to support the Echuca Regional Health palliative care team.
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, with World Pancreatic Cancer Day falling on November 19, highlighting the need for greater awareness, research and early detection of the disease, which is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally.
In support of the cause, Bakehouse 151 in Echuca has teamed up with Stewart’s Wish to sell cupcakes and doughnuts, raising money for Pankind Australia and ERH’s palliative care nurses.
“If we could save one person from this horrible disease, we’ve won,” Ms Murtagh said.
The fundraiser has continued to grow since its inception, raising just under $1000 in its first year before doubling the amount to $2000 last year.
Ms Murtagh hopes the fundraiser will continue the conversation around pancreatic cancer and raise awareness of the disease, with its symptoms often mistaken for those of other conditions.
She said Stewart had little indication anything was wrong before the cancer was discovered.
“It’s a silent killer, like I said, my husband had no idea. He was just going in for a hip replacement, and the X-ray showed that by that time it had spread,” she said.
Ms Murtagh urges people to listen to their bodies, get checked and push for answers if something feels off.
The cause is also close to the hearts of Bakehouse 151 co-owners Ben Atkins and Jayde Kenny, who have experienced the impact of cancer on their families, as have members of their team.
Drop into Bakehouse 151 between 6am and 2pm on Thursday, November 19 to pick up a cupcake, doughnut or business pack, with pre-orders available via https://tinyurl.com/mvz9fpkt and support a cause making a difference.
