Wednesday, 21 June 2023

 Chris CREWTHER (Mornington) (10:06): I am proud to support Red Apple Day today to raise awareness of bowel cancer. It is not a sexy topic, but it is one we need to speak about, as one of the biggest issues in the battle against bowel cancer is silence. Over the past three decades there has been a 266 per cent increase in bowel cancer in adolescents and young adults from 15 to 24 years. It is our second-biggest killer of all cancers, and 15,610 Australians are told they have bowel cancer each year, claiming the lives of 5354 people.

One ambassador for Bowel Cancer Australia is Donna Hope, who is here in the chamber today, who is also the former member for Carrum in this place and is now leading my electorate office team. Donna was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer at the age of 43. Up until then she had had a clear bill of health. A series of scans and a colonoscopy resulted in major surgery, followed by six months of chemotherapy. ‘You have bowel cancer’ are words Donna along with 15,000 Australians each year never expect to hear. Donna is passionate about raising awareness, sharing her mistake of ignoring health symptoms – one which many of us make in our busy lives. There is a common misconception that bowel cancer is an older person’s disease. As we know, it is not, and bowel cancer develops often without warning signs. I encourage you all to support Red Apple Day today and make a vow to chat bowel.