If you would like to set-up a tribute to your loved one on this Memory Wall please contact us and a team member will be in touch.
There will never be adequate words to express the sadness I feel that the life you loved and wanted to live was taken from you, cut short right at the start of a life full of opportunity and hope, and for the pain and suffering you bravely had to endure.
Love the people you have, with everything you have, for every day that you can have them. Because even when you have years of knowing your days are numbered, no number of days will ever be enough.
So here’s to you Ben, and all the amazing memories. Always loved, always missed, never forgotten. If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever.
Love Maddy x
Derek was just 32 when he died after a tremendous battle with brain cancer in 2013. He left behind his wife and three children, along with his extended family and many friends.
Derek lived in rural NSW all his life and had a passion for science especially all that related to the animal kingdom. As a 16-year-old, he bought a small python into the home and hid it in his bedroom wardrobe much to my horror!
Derek excelled at sport and became a well known and loved high school teacher in the local community. He was a loving and devoted father of three beautiful children, my grandchildren, and a dedicated son, a fun-loving older brother and a friend to so many.
I believe Derek’s personal struggle with rural access to health care let him and us as his family down. He had to travel long distances for the required scans and treatment. Locally, there was a lack of knowledge about the complexities of brain cancer. I believe this resulted in missing the early identification and proper treatment of Derek’s brain cancer as well as the subsequent identification of an infection that ultimately resulted in his untimely death.
A mother’s love for her child is one of the unbreakable bonds and I was willing to try anything to help him. We were fortunate enough to meet Prof. Charlie Teo and he offered us hope when no one else would.
Research into brain cancer is so important as it may mean that the next person with Derek’s diagnosis will have a better chance especially with such people as Professor Teo, paving the way and demanding exploration of the science into finding a cure.
Sincerely,
Suzanne
These were the very words Dom said to his dearest dad on our wedding day in 2006. These are the very words we tribute to him today and always.
Dom’s courageous journey begun when he was first diagnosed with a low-grade benign brain tumour in 2004 at the age of 28. At the time we were a young couple very much in love with an amazing life to look forward to. Enjoying life’s simple pleasures with our dearest family and friends, Domenic worked in building/construction and I had just graduated from University. We both shared the same dreams to get engaged, married, and settle down with a house full of children, endless family gatherings and creating beautiful memories.
Fortunately, after the operation, Domenic’s good news from Charlie “you are one of the lucky ones” gave us so much to look forward to and we got on with our lives as normal. We got engaged not long after and in 2006 we married in St. Marys Cathedral Sydney. Sadly not long after we got married, Domenic endured another operation due to a recurrence. From endless seizures and the unknown we were lucky again to have received good news from Charlie, although not long after, Dom’s seizures started to become very regular. Having to always put work aside, not being able to drive and so much more, Dom was one of the most strongest, selfless humans I’d ever known. Throughout all the physical challenges he had to live with, he never complained once. Always with a smile on his face and lifting us all up.
In January 2009, Dom and I became first time parents to our baby boy Domenic Jr. Baby Domenic was the joy of our world, Dom was an amazing Dad and loved every minute he spent with his boy. Sadly in May 2010 Dom took another turn and fought a fight for 6 months in hospital, sadly we lost Dom on the 3rd November 2010. Life was never the same and our whole world collapsed. Dom’s strength, courage and determination was like no other. No matter what he was faced with, he always lived every day to the fullest. Whenever we would tear up seeing him having to go through what he went through, he would say “Come on, don’t be sad, crying is for sad movies”. Followed by “Let’s go for a drive and grab a pizza”.
His love for us, our son, parents, siblings, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends was immeasurable. There are just no words. Dom was loved by everyone and anyone that was fortunate to know him.
This year, we held an intimate memorial for Domenic to honour his 10 year anniversary. Our immediate family gathered together to remember Dom at his place of rest. With a heart shaped wreath of soccer balls, with prayers and blessings and blue and yellow balloons to commemorate Dom’s love for the Parramatta Eels.
Although Domenic Jr was only 22 months when Dom passed away, he has developed his own connection with his dad, especially through family and friends. He loves hearing the stories they share with him when his dad was younger. He loves asking questions, learning more about his Dad and I’m sure as he gets older he will want to know more and more each day.
We miss Dom every single day. Every milestone, family event and celebrations, we feel his missing greatly. Dom’s presence is always with us. His love is stronger than his passing. Loved immensely and respected by everyone he knew, he made us all feel so special and still does today. This will never die. Nor will Brain Cancer ever take his love away from us.
No matter the day, month or year…every day we have hope and faith in our hearts that one day we will meet Dom and our team of angels at the doorway of heaven. There are no words that could ever match the unconditional love that Domenic gave to everyone, and who ever came across Dom was so fortunately touched by him.
Dom’s light, aura and smile still shine ever so bright and he will always and eternally live in our hearts. Lover of Bob Marley tunes, family gatherings and a crazy soccer fan, we were so ‘truly blessed’ to have felt and known a love like no other. A love as magical, genuine and authentic as ‘Domenic Amalfi’. A name, soul and a true man of honour that will be celebrated and dearly missed for life. We love you Dom. No matter the number…we will forever wave your flag to ‘infinity and beyond’.
Love you forever, Liz xo
We received a phone call from a member of staff at the university Nathan attended to say Nathan had had some type of episode and the ambulance was taking him to hospital. He was our healthy child, he rarely ever got a cold, but that all changed that day.
After many hours we were told that there was no neurosurgeon at the hospital we were in and we would have to go to another. As we were in the centre of Brisbane we were at a loss as to why this would be. After a long night with no answers, we were sent back to the original hospital to get a diagnosis. We were told that Nathan had a mass in his brain and would have to be operated on to remove it and to see what type of mass it was.
The following week Nathan had his first of four brain surgeries. The doctor could not remove it all. We were told it was an Oligodendroglioma. We were also told not to worry as you can live with this type of mass for many years, decades even and that they’d just keep an eye on it.
So we kept an eye on it with scans and follow up visits. It grew a bit so the surgeon went in again. Again, he could not remove it all. By this point the surgeon kept telling us that all was fine. But Nathan’s seizures were becoming more common despite the medications.
We had to do something so I asked Nathan if he would like to go and see a different surgeon, a fellow named Charlie Teo. That turned out to be the best decision we made.
The first time we met with Charlie he spoke directly to Nathan, which was a first. He told us that there are two types of tumours, one is benign and one is malignant. He said that benign might kill you or it might not and a malignant would almost certainly end Nathan’s life.
Then he said “I can get it out if you want me to”. Nathan said “Just get it out of my head!”
Charlie was able to remove all visible signs of the tumour which was great but it was found to be a Glioblastoma, a GBM, malignant and most likely fatal. That was late January 2010. Nathan asked me to take the call with the results which happened to come while I was grocery shopping while Nathan’s brother Nick stayed with him. I was standing in Woolworths being told my eldest son was likely to only have a year left to live. I’m not sure how I got home. And I will never forget having to tell Nathan. It’s not something a mother should ever have to tell her child. Nathan decided that day that he was going to be the one that survived.
Nathan then endured rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. When he lost his hair his brother Nick shaved his head to support him. The radiation was absolutely horrible. Nathan was so burnt they had to stop treatment before the completion. It was awful but Nathan kept positive.
Through all of this, Nathan had managed to complete university and graduate with second class honours with a brain tumour in his head.
The time that Charlie had given Nathan by removing the tumour he spent travelling, working, making the most of life. Scans showed no regrowth and as time went on we started to hope that maybe Nathan was going to be the one who beat this horrible disease.
Then on September 1st, three years after Nathan’s first seizure, Nathan was not well so we made an appointment to see his neurologist. When I described what was going on with Nathan he immediately organised an MRI. Nathan had only had his scheduled MRI 7 weeks before which was clear. This MRI showed a tumour the size of an orange. It was back and growing fast.
So it was down to Sydney to see Charlie as Nathan still wanted to fight. Charlie removed all visible signs of the tumour but there were some deficits this time.
The day after we got back from Sydney Nathan fell very ill. He was not very lucid and was vomiting. We went back to the hospital in Brisbane where scans revealed a blood clot in his brain. More days were spent in hospital and it was after that that Nathan told me he never wanted to go to hospital again.
Nathan was put back on chemo as well as needles every day to stop another blood clot. Nathan hated it but never complained.
We had what was to be our last Christmas together quietly at home just the family. On New Year’s Day 2012 we were invited to go out on a friend’s boat. Nathan was so keen to go. We only went out on the bay, the weather was perfect, great food, great company. Then not long before we got back to shore Nathan had a seizure, different from the others. He was to have his scheduled MRI the next day. This scan was inconclusive.
Nathan went downhill very fast from here. It was decided to discontinue treatment in late January. We nursed him at home as per his request. On February 29th 2012 Nathan lost his battle with this horrible disease exactly 3 and a half years after his first seizure. He was just 23 years old.
Charlie Teo gave Nathan time and us time with him. But brain cancer still stole his life.
Nathan was extremely intelligent; he could read at 3 years old and gained an academic scholarship at high school and university. He had amazing recall of anything he read. He had a very warped sense of humour. He was a computer nerd who wanted to work for Apple and change the world with his ideas.
He loved to travel and had already saved a deposit for his own home. He loved his family and was hoping to find a girl to share his life with. He gave the best hugs. He fought hard and never once complained but brain cancer won. Nathan did not get to contribute to the world. He did not get to follow his dreams.
We need to find a cure. We need to stop losing our sons, our daughters, our husbands, our wives, our parents and our friends to this horrible disease.
Love Kathy and Tony Abussi (parents)
2018 started the same way as most families, with family and friends celebrating with champagne.
It was March when things started not to be normal for Penny. She complained about pain in the left side of her body and over the weeks she gradually started to lose movement, had trouble walking and losing her grip. We tried everything conventional and alternative, thinking it was muscular or a pinched nerve but nothing showed up or worked. Penny was deteriorating more each passing day, to the point where she could hardly walk. That is when the GP suggested that she goes to Emergency Department in our regional hospital.
Within 15 minutes of arriving they sent Penny in for a CT scan of her brain. I will never forget that day, 9 April 2018, the emergency doctor informed us the result of the scan, a possible tumour in the brain. We were gobsmacked and could not understand how this could be possible. Penny lived an organic, healthy and very nature loving lifestyle. She was a very healthy 51 year old with no health issues until now. We asked the doctor how this could happen and the doctor said that it is bad luck and we just don’t know why.
That night I had to tell our children that their mother possibly had brain cancer, one of the most painful things I have had to do. Our lives as we knew it would be changed forever.
We were transferred to another hospital and on 18 April, with high hopes, Penny was operated on. The official diagnosis was a Grade 3 Anaplastic Ependymoma, prognosis was 12 to 18 months, it was terminal.
Penny never regain any movement on her left side and started to lose movement on her right side. She became bedridden and was only able to talk. Penny was in hospital for 55 days until we were able to bring her home to a house full of rehab equipment. We cared for her around the clock as she deteriorated, despite trying everything imaginable. We made one last trip to hospital and then moved her into palliative care.
Penny passed away in the early hours of 4th September 2018, just under 5 months from being diagnosed. It only took this short time from being a fully functioning human to being dead. Penny left behind our four children, 26, 18, 16 and a 13 year old and me, her loving husband. She was cut down in the prime of her life, a person doing what she was good at, empowering women and changing the world around her.
Never take life for granted and never think it could not happen to you or someone you love, regardless of how many green smoothies you have.
Regards,
Charles
If you would like to set-up a tribute to your loved one on this Memory Wall please contact us and a team member will be in touch.
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Last updated December 2019
This Privacy Policy sets out our commitment to protecting the privacy of your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. Charlie Teo Foundation ABN 57 622 041 061 only collects personal information that is reasonably necessary for us to perform our charitable activities.
What is personal information?
Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual that is reasonably identifiable. Personal information can include a person’s name, address, contact details, date of birth, gender, sexuality and race.
What personal information does Charlie Teo Foundation collect and why?
To enable us to undertake our charitable activities we may collect the following personal information from you:
• Your name, title, signature, address, phone number, email, date of birth and employment details;
• Health information;
• Payment and billing details including bank and credit card details.
If you are making a donation, we may also ask you to provide details about the motivation for the gift and whether it is made on behalf of an individual or an organisation.
Who do we collect personal information from?
Charlie Teo Foundation may collect personal information from donors, volunteers, fundraisers, people with or affected by brain cancer, event guests, corporate partners and sponsors,researchers and research institutions, grantees, suppliers, service providers and other supporters.
How do we collect your personal information?
We may collect personal informationfrom you in various ways, including in-person, by telephone, via our website or email, the internet, through social media or by mail.
Third parties might also collect personal information from you (for example, organisers of fundraisers) to provide to us.
What do we do with your personal information?
Charlie Teo Foundation uses personal information in the following ways:
• To communicate with you about our activities including but not limited to upcoming fundraising events, campaigns, research activities and outcomes;
• To process your donation or application to organise a fundraiser;
• To enable us to undertake our volunteer program;
• For marketing and promotion of our activities including to help raise awareness and funds for brain cancer research;
• To enable us to conduct our grant program and research activities; and
• To comply with legislative or regulatory requirements.
We would only provide your personal information to a third party if it is necessary to perform our activities (i.e.if you have specific dietary requirements, we would provide that information to the organiser of the event).
Health information and other sensitive information
If you provide us with details of how you have been affected by brain cancer, including information about your medical condition, history andtreatment, this is considered health information. We will always seek your consent to the use and disclosure of such information, including using your story and image in our communications, social media and promotional material.
Research participants
If you participate in research programs that we conduct, we may collect personal information to record your involvement and to process the results of research and to contact you regarding participation in the study or future studies. The information we collect from you will generally be sensitive information because it will be your health information and could be other sensitive information such as information about your racial or ethnic origin. It will be handled in accordance with this privacy policy and any relevant research ethics approved by an external committee.
We may collect your personal information including:
• your medical history including, where relevant, a family medical history;
• your Medicare number and information about your privacy health insurance;
• current medications or treatments used by you;
• the name of any care provider, health service provider or medical specialist to whom we refer you back to or has referred you to us, copies of any referrals and reports;
• test results and samples.
Information may also be collected about individuals who are not research participants when we make a record about a research participant. For example, when collecting emergency contact details or a family medical history.
From time to time we may collate and analyse statistical data from information we have previously collected. In these cases, the data will be de-identified and aggregated before it is disclosed to third parties.
Biobank
As a brain cancer research organisation, we operate a biobank which stores biological samples and associated health data for use in research. Third party research organisations may provide us with samples and data from participants in their research studies, for inclusion in a biobank. We may use these samples and data to generate genetic or genomic information. Biobanks are a valuable resource to support research to develop new treatments, drugs and therapies and to understand health and disease conditions more broadly. We work with reputable contractors and third party service providers to operate our biobanks. Our biobank is designed and managed to protect the privacy of individuals and to comply with the highest standard of legal requirements and clinical ethics. In most cases, the biological samples and associated data are de-identified and it is not possible to identify individuals to whom the sample and associated data relates. Where this is the case, the samples and data will not be personal information which is subject to privacy laws. Where we do hold personal information in the biobank, it will be handled in accordance with this privacy policy and the relevant human research ethics approved by an external Human Research Ethics Committee. Research participants enrolled in this research will be given further information detailing how their personal information (including health information) will be handled.
How do we store your personal information?
Your personal information is stored onelectronic cloud-based databases and Microsoft Office 365. We also may hold hard copy information on-site at our office. We have implemented electronic and physical measures to protect the personal, sensitive and health information we receive from misuse, interference and loss, and from unauthorised use, modification or disclosure. We are not, however, liable for any unauthorised access or disclosure of information.
Your financial information
Our website uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates to protect your credit card information over the internet. We also encrypt the credit card details we store on our electronic cloud-based database.
Access to and correction of your personal information
At your request, Charlie Teo Foundation will provide you with access to your personal information that is held by us. We may, however, refuse a request for access in certain circumstances in accordance with Australian Privacy Principle 12.
If you consider the personal information that we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, irrelevant or out-of-date, please contact us so that we can correct the information.
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How are changes to this privacy policy made?
We may, at any time and at our discretion, change this Privacy Policy by publishing the amended Privacy Policy on our website. We recommend you check our website regularly to ensure you are aware of our current Privacy Policy.
For any questions or notices, please contact our Privacy Officer at:
Charlie Teo Foundation ABN 57 622 041 061
Phone: (02) 8880 8328
Email: info@charlieteofoundation.org.au
We will respond to requests within a reasonable timeframe.
Last updated December 2019