I'm doing it for Judith!
Judith
and I met on a blind date in April 1954. Her aunt and a friend of mine set us
up and, as they say, the rest is history. We married on 12 May 1956 and spent
60 happy years together before noticing that something was wrong.
Judith and I were regular walkers, and being from Aldinga, we liked to spend
our mornings taking it all in, wandering around the nearby towns. It was back
in September 2015 upon returning from one of our favourites—the walk along The Esplanade—that we first knew something was wrong.
Judith was in severe abdominal pain, and we had to call an ambulance. She had
an ultrasound at the hospital, and seven days after evasive surgery, the
surgeon advised us it was Ovarian Cancer. He suggested chemo treatment begin as
soon as possible. Judith was 79 years of age.
Even during
chemo, we continued to walk together whenever she felt up to it. I remember
sometimes we would take the bus timetable with us, ready for 'Plan B'. I was
with her during every treatment and doctor’s appointments for 18 months, and I
liked to think that support helped her get through it.
Another
round of chemo was somewhat encouraging; there was some reduction, but her
final scan in February 2017 showed that the tumours were getting bigger. There
had been a 40 per cent increase in just five weeks. It all became too much for
her, one of the tumours penetrated the bowel, and she passed peacefully on 8
March 2017, 14 days after with our family celebrated her 82nd birthday
not knowing it would be our last.
I was
lost without her, so decided to honour her memory by recreating one of our
fondest pastimes—walking the 6km Shiraz Trail from Willunga to McLaren Vale.
Now, every February, the local community and I come together to complete the
walk as part of my fundraising for Judith’s Legacy. By doing it during
February, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, it is also a special way to celebrate
around the time of her birthday on 25 February. What first began as a
reflective walk has snowballed to much more—raffles, auctions, luncheons, car
boot sales. I’ve caught the fundraising bug, and it feels so great to be doing
it all with such a supportive community of people. With COVID having quite an
impact on my usual fundraising activities, I am up to my ears in raffle prizes,
and hoping to get back out into the community to sell raffle tickets once
again.
Ovarian
cancer rarely receives the attention or the media of other more common cancers.
But with almost no symptoms until it’s advanced, it’s often called 'the silent
killer'—we knew nothing about it until it was too late. My aim was
to raise awareness of this cancer, and to do my bit to raise some money.
I’m hoping you can support me do it for Judith and Do It For Cancer.
To find out more about what fundraising I’m up to, follow Judith’s Walk on
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/judithswalkwillunga/
Thank you to my Supporters
$30.02k
Judith's Legacy
$30k
Dean Rowe
$28.15k
Dean Rowe
Thank you to all of Judith's Legacy's supporters, Dean
$3k
Department Of The Premier And Cabinet
$622.08
Kirsty Mcvey Photography
For Dean Rowe
$527.50
David Newman
$500
Savills Adelaide
Savills were very pleased to participate in Judith's Walk and to include this donation.
$495
Cinemallunga Inc
$421.45
Dean Rowe
$263.75
William Boyle
You are a marvel Dean. Keep up the amazing work!
$242.65
Mortgage Choice Noarlunga
Thank you Dean for all you do!
$220
Fiona Glodigau
$211
Woodcroft College
$200
Lonsdale Accounting & Bookkeeping Service
$158.25
Jan & David Munzberg
$106.12
Anonymous
With love
$105.50
Lynda Caporaso
Dean you are one of the sweetest people I have ever seen, keep doing what you are doing. All my love xoxo
$54.12
Kerry Bosisto
Keep going, you are doing great work. Judith would be proud of your effort.
$54.12
Joanne Cooper
You are a legend Dean.
$52.75
Mikaela
$50
Elaine Matthews
$27.81
David Voss
All the very best Dean. Wish I could donate a whole lot more x
$27.81
Ian Renshaw
$27.81
Fiona Roberts
We met you today Dean while walking on Granite Island and you told me yours and Judith's story. All the best in your endeavour to reach your goal and what a wonderful cause you are helping to support. Fiona and Peter
$27.81
Marketa
Thank you Dean for your kind fundraiser and for introducing us to the ParkRun.
$27.81
Jill Lovell
$27.81
Jonette Thorsteinsen
$27.81
Elise Kalderovskis
$27.81
Anonymous
$27.81
Biasi
Thanks for always volunteering at Parkrun 😁
$26.38
Dom Liddle
Hi Dean, I just saw on the news what happened. Sorry to hear this. It’s not much but I hope it helps!
$26.38
Nikki Needham
$25
Lili
🩵🩵🩵 Lots of love to Dean and Judith, Love from Lili
$25
Bronte Mcqueen
I hope schnitzel night went well!
$25
Elaine Matthews
Thank you for what you are doing in raising awareness for women's health.
$22.58
Kimberley Skrypek
Thank you for all your do to raise awareness of ovarian cancer.
$21.10
Karen Wise
$21.10
Ruby
$21.10
Sally & Brenton Bowman
Amazing work Dean
$20
Bronte Mcqueen
In lieu of schnitzel night at the Beach Hotel. Great work mate!
$17.16
Isabella Strada
$17.16
Celia Latty-steele
From this big old swear bear - I’m so proud of all your efforts 🩷
$11.65
Andrew Wilson
Christmas parkrun at Aldinga.
$10.55
Owen Green
$9.49
Kevin Ward
$6.13
Cali Mcnamara
$6.13
Lauren
$6.13
Hi this money has been raised by Judith's Legacy with the support of many people.