Leukaemia Foundation staff and people with blood cancer were disappointed to find that one of the Leukaemia Foundation transport service vehicles had three wheels stolen over the weekend.
The Bridgestone sponsored vehicle, based at the Balcatta office, was found on Monday morning on blocks, with three missing wheels.
“It is an inconvenience for our transport service as we are fully booked with people being transported every day for their chemotherapy and medical appointments,” Andrew York, General Manager of the Leukaemia Foundation in Western Australia, said.
The Foundation’s free transport service is specifically designed to relieve the pressure faced by individuals and families affected by blood cancer. People with blood cancer are transported to and from their treating hospital for their appointments.
As blood cancer treatment can often last for years, transport to treatment can often put a strain on people with blood cancer and their families, particularly in cases where the carer needs to return to work for financial reasons. During treatment, a person’s immune system is severely weakened, so catching public transport can be dangerous due to possible infections.
“Unfortunately this is not the first time that our vehicles have been targeted by vandals and thieves. We are calling for anyone who has any information regarding the theft to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” Andrew York said.
The Leukaemia Foundation’s transport service is available to residents in the metropolitan area and in the South West. The Foundation currently has six transport vehicles operating in WA. This includes four in the metro area, one in Peel and one in the South West.
In the 2013-2014 financial year, the WA transport service provided 1708 transport trips for 303 people affected by blood cancer. The total distance travelled in the year by the transport fleet was 142 107km.
The Leukaemia Foundation is the peak body for blood cancer in Australia, funding research and providing free services to support people with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and related blood disorders.
If you would like to make a donation to the Leukaemia Foundation please call 1800 620 420 or visit www.leukaemia.org.au
Source: The Leukaemia Foundation
Ryan Fritz
Ryan Fritz started The Advocate in 2014 to provide not-for-profits and charities another media platform to tell their worthwhile hard news stories and opinion pieces effortlessly. In 2020, Ryan formed a team of volunteer journalists to help spread even more high-quality stories from the third sector. He also has over 10 years experience as a media and communications professional for not-for-profits and charities and currently works at Redkite, a childhood cancer charity.
