RDAU_10-11_Oct_Nov Issue

accommodation services like Adelaide’s Leukaemia Foundation Bridgestone Blood Cancer Centre. Since its opening in 2013, more than 403 families just like the Purdies have called the centre home – amassing an incredible cumulative total of more than 44,103 nights, and its impact is as far reaching as more than 28 regions throughout South Australia, the Northern Territory, Victoria and New South Wales. It was constructed to solve the need of somewhere to live as families faced lengthy stretches of treatment by way of a self- contained apartment, but as Geoff and Denise soon realised in the first of their two multi-month spans at the Bridgestone Blood Cancer Centre, that was the tip of the iceberg. It was all the care and support beneath the surface that makes the world of difference. It wasn’t just the professionals on hand at the centre that lifted the burden. Their newfound community gave them instant access to people who understood their lived experience and helped them navigate the roller coaster of emotions. “We found the village life! You go through those security gates, and you’re home. It’s our home away from home. “Geoff had to go to hospital a few times, and I’d be on my own. But there was not one time that I was scared because I felt even though I’d go home to my unit, I didn’t feel alone. And of course, there are different times when you can’t be near other people, so it was always good to just meet out in the garden. We felt safe and supported,” Denise said. The camaraderie of the residents quickly became a highlight. Whether it was the impromptu ‘beer-o-clock’ sessions (which were actually cups of tea), or the staff organised morning teas, to the reader ’ s digest 46   OctOber/NOvember 2026