Ensuring vital cancer information and support is just a phone call away

Amanda Maple is one of Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 Cancer Nurses who, thanks to the support of people like you, is here to ensure no one has to go through cancer alone. She is just one of the experienced nurses who answer more than 5,000 calls for support a year from people impacted by cancer. 

“There is no typical day in the life of a Cancer Council 13 11 20 Nurse—you never know who will be on the other end of the phone, what support they’ll need and how we’ll be able to help.

We can provide a listening ear, offer emotional support, help answer questions, guide people to relevant and trustworthy information, and also link callers with a range of other services and supports including accommodation, counselling, financial assistance, legal services and support groups.

To be diagnosed with cancer can be overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to start.

Many calls stick in my mind, but the most rewarding calls are with people who thought there was nothing out there for them and by the end of the call we’ve given them some really great tools to make their cancer experience a little easier.

Often when people impacted by cancer call us, they don’t know what support they need or what is available. They just know that we are here, and we are a good starting point. We’ll have a chat about what’s happening in their life, to understand how the cancer diagnosis is impacting on them and their family. From these conversations we can suggest ways to help ease their concerns or worries, perhaps provide them with additional information, offer support from our broad range of Cancer Council programs, or refer them to another service that can help.

I’d like to share a recent call with a woman named Carol*.

Carol is supporting her dad through his cancer experience. She called looking for help finding accommodation for her dad while travelling to receive cancer treatment. Carol had no idea that we are experienced cancer support nurses on the line and that we can offer all sorts of support and information.

By the end of the call, she knew that her dad could stay in Cancer Council SA’s Lodges if he travels to Adelaide for treatment, and that she can stay with him too. She now knows that she can call us at any time for advice or simply just to talk about what’s going on, and that her and her dad are both eligible for free counselling if they need it.”

The information, support and advice offered through Cancer Council 13 11 20 is available because of your generosity—in fact, all the Cancer Council SA services that offer care at a crucial time in people’s lives are funded by people like you.

Thank you for helping nurses like Amanda to ease the fear and loneliness caused by cancer by ensuring support is just a phone call away. Because of you, no South Australian has to feel lost, confused or go through cancer alone.

If you or someone you know is impacted by cancer, we are here for you. You can contact Cancer Council SA on 13 11 20 or visit our website here.

*Name has been changed to protect privacy and confidentiality.