Adele Brotherton says there’s an unfair stigma attached to people with lung cancer and she will be cutting her long locks off this Friday to help raise money for medical research.
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“People with lung cancer are so stigmatised and have limited treatment options and that’s why I’m fundraising for it.
“People believe they’re all just smokers and they deserve it, but no, anyone is susceptible to lung cancer. ”
The 18-year-old from Kundle Kundle will lose about 20cm of hair in front of her fellow students at Taree Christian College, cut by a teacher chosen by the class that raises the most money this week.
“I’m chopping off my ponytail. I’m really fair and they said we don’t want you to get skin cancer for shaving off your hair for cancer, so I’m getting a pixie cut.
“I’ve got a headband in case it looks bad and I hate it.”
She’s also investigating possible places she can donate her hair to be put to use for others.
To assist with her fundraising, tins are placed around town to collect donations and she made hundreds of cupcakes to sell at a bake sale at school on Tuesday this week.
She also set up an webpage through the Cancer Council, called Lob it for Lung Cancer, where online donations can be made: www.doitforcancer.com.au/fundraisers/adelebrotherton/Lob-it-for-Lung-Cancer
It’s been a big year for Adele, who finished her HSC and was also part of the cast for Taree Arts Council’s Les Miserables.
She plans to go into a career as a lawyer and international negotiator, and social justice is a big focus for her.
Earlier in the year she participated in a ration challenge where she ate like a Syrian refugee for a week. “I raised over $500 for that.
“It was quite difficult. I ended up with rice brain, a brain that wouldn’t think. You think about food and how hungry you are.
“In the end I got into the rhythm of it but I wanted to eat everything in the fridge,” she said.
It took her body a little while to adjust back to her regular eating patterns.
This Friday though, it’s about raising money for research and to support people with lung cancer.
She said because of the stigma attached to lung cancer there are limited treatment options.
“The research facilities do not have enough money to push for a cure.”