BrainSwim Swim-A-Thon and Family Fun Day – 23 November 2014
It’s nearly summer and swimming is always a good idea. Bluefit and internationally respected Neurosurgeon and Brain Cancer Researcher Dr Brindha Shivalingam have teamed up to create a fun fundraising event – the BrainSwim Swim-a-thon and Family Fun Day.
ITC was lucky enough to sit down with Brindha and the event co-creators to find out more about BrainSwim.
Ruth Clewett is a bubbly and vivacious girl who loves swimming and working at the Lane Cove Aquatic Centre. At age 26, Ruth started to experience headaches, loss of vision, seizures and exhaustion. She could not even enjoy one of her favourite activities – swimming. She sought medical attention and was shocked when she wast told that she had a brain tumour,
Ruth was lucky enough to be referred to Dr Brindha Shivalingam, one of Australia’s leading neurosurgeon. Brindha is a lane cove mother and an active member of the community.
After months of treatment, Ruth is now back at work and looking forward to getting back in the pool.
When local guitar tutor, musician and swimming enthusiast, Jonathan Bolton found out about Ruth’s story he knew he had to do something.
So together, Ruth, Dr Brindha and Jonathan Bolton teamed up together to create BrainSwim.
BrainSwim, is a fundraiser and awareness day for brain cancer. The funds raised at the swim-a-thon will be used for brain cancer research at the RPA.
The organising committee (which includes Pamela and David Quirk, Kristen Lees and Michelle Forrest ( lane cove locals) and Gemma Olive (a friend and former patient of Brinda) would like to raise $30 000 towards brain cancer research. Dr Brindha told ITC that there are many new targeted drugs that could be useful for large tumours. However not enough testing has been conducted on these drugs to ascertain if they can work on different types of tumours.
Did you know that brain cancer causes one death every eight hours in Australia? It is the Number One cause of cancer deaths in children.
Bluefit is helping by donating their time and their facilities.
So how can you help:
- Register to swim at BrainSwim – you can enter as an individual or a team (2 – 10 people). The whole family can be involved. Your team can swim 500m or 10 000m (just depends if you are an Eric the Eel or a Grant Hackett!!).
- If you cannot swim, then come along to the Family Fun Day at the Lane Cove Aquatic Centre. There will be food stalls, raffles, jumping castles and face painting. The Jon Bolton Quartet and the Stringy Bark Jazz Quartet will entertain you.
- Make a donation on the day.
- If you are a business, you can become a sponsor of the event or donate a prize. Please contact the organisers via their Facebook page.
- If you are busy on 23 November, you can always donate online now – just click this link…. http://bit.ly/donateforbraincancerresearch
BrainSwim
Where: Lane Cove Aquatic Centre
When: 23 November 2014
Time: 8 am to 12 noon
Registration Link: http://www.BrainSwim.org.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrainSwim
