Celebrating Pink Round at MUSC
MUSC recently held our 2019 Pink round, raising awareness and $400 for the Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) through our bar, barbecue and bakes sales.
The MUSC Pink round has become an almost-annual event and sees us don a splash of pink on the field and play our best to get behind this worthy cause. With 1 in 7 women in Australia predicted to be diagnosed with breast cancer by their 85th birthday, it’s very likely that most of our members are playing for someone on Pink round.
MUSC player, Jenny Ling reflects on the importance of the round to her, with her mum recently hitting her five-year cancer-free mark.
“Cancer is such an aggressive disease that leaves really ugly, big, deep scars, on all levels of your well being”.
“I’m painfully aware that 20 years ago this diagnosis could have been fatal for her- but because of how far we’ve come with treatment, awareness and education, my mum was one of the lucky ones to move past it”.
“This round means so much to me, because from all the awareness and fundraising activity that goes on, it means that we can all do our part to work towards a future that can minimise the impact of this disease for good,” she said.
MUSC member, Nez Ozergen was also proud to participate in the round, playing for her mum and her mum’s best friend.
“Mid 2017 was a wave of emotions for my family – my mum’s best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer, and only weeks after she had begun treatment, my mum was also diagnosed”.
“Fast forward to just over two years now and mum has been in the clear for the past year, while her friend continues to receive treatment”.
“By raising money for the BCNA, we’re helping support those affected by breast cancer during and after treatment, but also contributing to more research in early detection and the development of more forms of treatment,” she said.
Our Pink round encouraged conversation about our connections to breast cancer and lead us to learn about the research by MUSC coach and player, Dr Nathanial Harris (known around the club as Nat Harris) at the Olivia Newton John Cancer Research Institute.
Nat is researching the effects of microbiomes on immunotherapy – how “all the bugs that are in and on our body” cause our white blood cells to act differently and respond better to breast tumours when a cancer patient is given immunotherapy.
“Earlier this year I undertook three different models and I’ve discovered some startling results, with massive reductions in primary breast cancer growth and near abolishment of any spread of cancer,” he said.
Nat is seeking funding to further his promising research and has set up a GoFundMe page (valid as of 14/08/2019) if you or anyone you know would like to contribute.
MUSC’s Pink round wraps up our trio of special rounds for 2019, following a successful Pride round and SPOTaTHON (mental health awareness round). The club would like to thank everyone who has been involved in these initiatives.