Once again, our community has come together to create meaningful change, proving that when people unite for an important cause, the impact is truly profound.
Four local community groups have created a legacy more impactful than any one of them could have predicted.
In 2020, Cancer After Care Group Geelong, Geelong Racing Club Father’s Day Race Day, Male Bag Foundation, and the Gentlemen’s Club of Geelong joined forces with the Barwon Health Foundation to raise over $200,000. Their collective goal? To purchase a Transperineal Biopsy Machine, the first of its kind for public patients in the Geelong region.
Now in operation for five years at Barwon Health’s University Hospital Geelong, this cutting-edge equipment is revolutionising the way prostate cancer is diagnosed in local men. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Early detection is crucial, and this machine is providing men in our region with safer, less invasive and more accurate biopsies - offering hope, time, and better outcomes.
But this is more than just a machine - it is a lifesaving legacy.
The purchase of this machine was not just about upgrading technology - it’s about saving lives. Traditional prostate biopsies carry a risk of infection, bleeding, and inaccuracies. The transperineal biopsy method significantly reduces these risks while improving diagnostic accuracy, leading to earlier detection and, ultimately, better survival rates.
When I was chatting to Dr. Richard Grills, Director of Urology at Barwon Health, recently he spoke passionately about this advancement and the impact it is having on local men, and their families, right here in Greater Geelong.
“Having access to a Transperineal Prostate Biopsy device has significantly reduced complications associated with prostate biopsies and increased diagnostic accuracy. We are identifying more significant prostate cancers earlier, and more safely.
This collective generosity is making a huge local difference, every single day. Since the machine was introduced, 750 men have undergone biopsies using this safer, more effective method. That’s 750 lives potentially changed - local fathers, brothers, grandfathers, and sons who now have a better chance of early detection and successful treatment”.
Healthcare innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when communities rally together, recognising that every contribution – no matter how big or small - can change lives. This machine is a testament to what can be achieved when local groups unite with a shared purpose.
It’s a reminder that generosity leaves a lasting impact. A lasting legacy. The funds donated for this machine are not just an investment in technology but an investment in our local people, families, and futures.
This is the power of community giving. And this is the lifesaving legacy these groups have built for the future health of Geelong.
Zoe Waters
Executive Director
Barwon Health Foundation
