"All brain cancer is going to come back, that's a fact," says Nerida Ramsay.
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"Hopefully by the time mine comes back, and other people's, they've found a cure."
And this is exactly why Nerida puts energy and money each year into fundraising for the Mark Hughes Foundation through taking part in Beanie for Brain Cancer - to raise funds for brain cancer research.
This year's NRL Beanie for Brain Cancer round is taking place this weekend, and that means one thing - it's time for Cafe Thyme to don their beanies and start a week of fundraising.
Except, this year, they won't be donning beanies. It will be different at Cafe Thyme. They'll be wearing Mark Hughes Foundation caps.
"It's really hot, working in the beanies!" Nerida said.
"Also, we're getting quite a collection. I said to the girls, 'this year I'm going to buy you caps and you can wear them all year round'."
The other change is that they might not have the Live for Liv scarves to sell, as this year they have been held up because of COVID-19. The scarves proved very popular at the cafe in previous years, so Nerida suggests if anyone wants one, they can go to the Mark Hughes Foundation website and purchase one directly from there.
The one thing that will stay the same is that $1 from every coffee purchased at Cafe Thyme will be donated to the Mark Hughes Foundation.
Local cricket historian and author, Les Eastaway, is helping out by donating copies of his book to Cafe Thyme to sell for $30 each, with all proceeds going to the fundraising effort.
Nerida's own battle with brain cancer began with a diagnosis of a grade three tumour in her right frontal lobe in late 2016. Since then, she has met many people who have been affected by brain cancer in one way or another.
There are so many people that have it, yet it is the most underfunded cancer.
- Nerida Ramsay
"There are so many people. Once you have experienced brain cancer, you come across so many people that have. Even the guy that recently laid our floor, his mum has brain tumours. There are so many people that have it, yet it is the most underfunded cancer," Nerida says.
Brain cancer receives less than five per cent of all government funding for cancer research.
Nerida reels off some alarming statistics:
- Around 1800 people are diagnosed with brain cancer in Australia every year, with 130 of those being children.
- Brain cancer kills more people under 40 than any other cancer.
- Survival rates for brain cancer have hardly changed for 30 years.
- Around 1400 to 1500 people die each year from brain cancer.
"That's too many," Nerida says.
Nerida is proud and grateful that each year her customers have supported Cafe Thyme's fundraiser, and asks them to this year encourage their friends and family to come in and buy a cup of coffee for a good cause.
"It might not seem like a lot, $1, but it all adds up," she says.
Mark Hughes Foundation beanies, caps, Live for Liv scarves, and other merchandise can be purchased online at markhughesfoundation.com.au. The Beanie for Brain Cancer beanies can also be bought at IGA and Lowes in Taree.
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