By VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS
A MOUNT Evelyn family has planned a family fun day to help raise money for brain cancer research after their father was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of the illness.
Andrew Roberts has been a fixture of the Mount Evelyn community since 1989, teaching martial arts and other skills to children in the area for over 25 years.
Last month Mr Roberts was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme grade 4, which caused a large tumour to develop in his brain.
A majority of the tumour has since been removed but as with all brain cancers, there was no way to remove the entire tumour without causing further damage to Mr Roberts’ brain tissue.
The Roberts family has organised the family fun day, with 100 per cent of the proceeds being donated to the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.
Mr Roberts’ daughter Jennifer said they wanted to do everything they could to support their father and help others who were affected by this illness.
“We felt helpless when we found out and we want to do everything we can,” she said.
“He has done so much for the community and we want to give back to a man who has given so much.”
The family has also been raising money for the foundation through sales of beanies which have become synonymous with brain cancer fund-raising after Carrie Bickmore’s Gold Logie acceptance speech in 2010.
Mr Andrews said he had been greatly humbled by the amount of support he had received from his family and the community of his business, Edge Martial Arts.
“My kids and my wife have been amazing and 100 per cent behind me,” he said.
“I want to thank the whole Edge community. Edge feels like one big family and everyone has been very supportive.”
Mr Roberts said he was lucky to be in a position where the family could afford the medical care he needed and is hoping the money they raised would make these treatments more accessible.
“I feel very lucky and grateful that we can afford to do this – others are not so lucky,” he said.
“Brain cancer is the least funded cancer and we don’t want others to go through this.”
According to the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, approximately 1600 brain cancers are diagnosed each year in Australia, with only two in 10 people diagnosed with brain cancer expected to survive five years after diagnosis.
The foundation also noted that brain cancer received less than five per cent of Federal Government cancer research funding.
The family fun day will include a jumping castle, face painting, balloon animals, live music, a barbecue, community market stalls and a push-up-a-thon where students of Edge Martial Arts are sponsored to do as many push-ups as they can.
There will also be a silent auction with over $10,000 worth of prizes including flights to Fiji.
The day will be held on Sunday 30 August at Yarra Hills Secondary College Mount Evelyn Campus from 11am to 4pm.
For more information please contact Katherine on 0417 111 270 or visit the dojo at 17 Hereford Road, Mount Evelyn.
