Eric Wright is the CEO of Fight Cancer Foundation which is a national charity dedicated to providing care, treatment and support for cancer patients and their families and funding vital research into cancer treatment and cures.
The Foundation was originally known as the Bone Marrow Donor Institute (BMDI). It was established in 1989 by a small group of families devastated by leukaemia with the aim of establishing a donor registry to give hope and save lives. In 1991, Rotary became involved and was instrumental in building the Bone Marrow Research Centre in Parkville.
Fast forward to 2003, BMDI's first accommodation centre, Rotary House, was opened in North Melbourne for rural and interstate patients and families who needed to access Melbourne's treating hospitals. Since opening, the facility has provided:
- 860 families with a home-away-from-home.
- 60,000 room nights accommodation.
The guests are mainly bone marrow and stem cell transplant patients from country Victoria and Tasmania. They are usually patients of either the Royal Children's Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital or Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Unfortunately, due to the high demand, there are some patients and their families who cannot get accommodation at Rotary House. Many of these cannot afford normal hotel accommodation especially if they need to stay for weeks or months. In such cases, they either:
Withdraw from treatment and go home.
Sell their homes or treasured possessions to fund their accommodation.
Rely on family or friends to assist financially.
Find cheap motel accommodation which increases the risk of infection.
Live in cars near the hospital.
The existing Rotary House is now past it's used-by date. It is aged, needs high maintenance and is not specifically designed to cater for the special needs of the patients. The plan is to sell the property to a developer and to purchase a new purpose-built facility which will consist of:
30 one and two bedroom units.
Communal spaces such as a library, gymnasium, play area and meeting rooms.
Income-producing retail/commercial space to offset ongoing operating costs.
The new Rotary House will also be located in the Parkville area, close to the "big three" hospitals.
Rotary Clubs across Victoria will be invited to participate in this visionary project which will provide long-term benefits to people during their battle with cancer.