Community & Business
28 March, 2024
Informative breakfast
The Pittsworth District Alliance (PDA) breakfast held recently was an insightful morning with guest speakers from rehabilitation and cancer care organisations.
The breakfast was well attended by Pittsworth business owners, high school captains Liam Cousen and Kiera Macdonald, PDA members, and Cr Kerry Shine.
The first guest speaker was Kylie Roberts (known by many locals as Kylie Gersekowski), who is the Toowoomba Team Leader, Senior Consultant and Rehabilitation Counsellor at Strive Occupational Rehabilitation.
Strive is a team of allied health professionals, passionate about working with organisations who want to improve the health and wellbeing of their staff.
Ms Roberts highlighted the importance of self care in the workplace and at school.
She defined self care as activities that preserve and maintain one’s physical, emotional and mental health.
“It’s an ongoing commitment to look after yourself through helpful behaviours that protect your health during periods of stress,” Ms Roberts said.
The second guest speaker was Jo Hiscock of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, who spoke about her role in supporting men undertaking treatment for prostate cancer.
Over the last eight years, the statistics have increased from one in six men being diagnosed with prostate cancer by the time they turn 85, to one in five men, Ms Hiscock said.
“So it’s prevalent.”
She explained that, often in the early stages, there are no signs or symptoms of the cancer, so it’s important to be vigilant about testing.
“You can be leading a really healthy, well life, and most times, men who are diagnosed in the early stages, have no symptoms, and that can be difficult to get your head around,” she said.
Toowoomba also boasts a state of the art radiation therapy unit and treatment facility at St. Andrew’s Hospital.
“We are so lucky to have a PSMA Pet scan in Toowoomba - they don’t have them in Canada!” Ms Hiscock said.
A PSMA PET scan is primarily used to stage, re-stage, and monitor prostate cancer.
Ms Hiscock encouraged all men to find out their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) number, which can be crucial in monitoring if prostate cancer ever presents itself in patients.
“The take home message is, know your number,” she said.
The final guest speaker was Deidre Hillberg of Blush Cancer Care, and Ms Hicock’s sister.
Blush Cancer Care is a not-for-profit organisation that provides education and support services to breast cancer patients in Toowoomba and surrounds.
Blush recently held a pink fundraiser luncheon at Rusty’s Bar and Grill on March 17.
“It was really successful, and the town supported Blush very well.
“There’s a lot of women in this district that are supported by Blush.
“It’s nice to get out into the community, not just Toowoomba, to spread the word about the support they [Blush] do give for women,” Ms Hillberg said.
She spoke briefly about her own personal breast cancer journey and how the Blush nurses encouraged and supported her throughout that time.
President of the PDA, Rhonda Ashton thanked each of the guest speakers as well as Hotel Motel managers Ash and Steve, and their staff, for breakfast.
Having previously been at Rusty’s Bar and Grill, this was the first time the breakfast was held at the Hotel Motel.
The PDA has a full calendar of upcoming events including its next general meeting on Tuesday, 2 April; Mother’s Day corsage making on Thursday, 9 May at the Hotel Motel; and the next breakfast is scheduled for 18 June.
The Showcasing Pittsworth and Surrounds weekend is also fast approaching and will include live music in the park, street stalls, markets, open gardens, a train visit, and bus trip.
This event is set for Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April 2024.
More details about the weekend will be published in the coming weeks.
