At the end of 2017, Queensland X-Ray and Toowoomba groups Fit Lab and Blush Cancer Care joined forces in a major partnership to support women undergoing breast cancer treatment through a programme titled Fight Back with Fitness.
The programme saw 100 women participate in a specially designed exercise for oncology programme, which consisted of hourly sessions three times a week, for ten weeks, under the direct supervision of exercise physiologists at the Fit Lab.
Queensland X-Ray Managing Radiologist in Toowoomba, Dr Peter Storey said the community-focused partnership would allow the business to give something back to a community that has helped support their business for over 34 years.
“We are very lucky to have had the long-standing support of the local Toowoomba community for so many years. Therefore we take great pride in the opportunity to return some of this goodwill to those around us. Additionally, in radiology we often don’t get to see an individual through their treatment journey as we are predominantly focused on the diagnostic stage. So it’s very rewarding and fulfilling to be able to contribute to, and witness, the recovery component of an individual’s care”.
The Fight Back with Fitness programme was developed by highly-trained Exercise Physiologists at Fit Lab and is being overseen by Blush Cancer Care Inc. The 100 participants received the programme at no charge, in addition to DEXA Body Composition Scans at Queensland X-Ray Russell Street.
The first group came to an emotional end in March 2018. The women who participated have forged genuine friendships which will continue on, and the staff involved in their journey have also gained a lot from the experience.
Julia Collins, Senior Administrator at Queensland X-Ray Russell Street, said the programme has been rewarding.
“It certainly brought a smile to our faces and it has been great to be part of something so important and so beneficial to our community. I have had conversations with a couple of ladies in the first programme who have been very impressed with the programme, their results and the improvement in their general well-being.”
Michael Hede, Chief Sonographer at Queensland X-Ray Toowoomba, explained that the programme has come from some well-grounded research.
“These exercise programmes for cancer patient are based on the latest research from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. They have been available elsewhere in Australia, but this is a first for Toowoomba. The research shows that specially developed exercise programmes have positive benefits to survival rates and improve both physical and mental well-being. “
Michael added that being involved in the project had been gratifying.
“Clint Gould, Chief Radiographer at Russell Street, and myself visited and were introduced to the next group to be involved. The first group were also there to talk about their experiences. Clint will agree that it was hard not to feel moved by the transformation of these ladies and the overwhelming positive benefit for them physically and mentally as a result of the programme.”’
The Queensland X-Ray Community Fund supports a range of initiatives just like this. The company, our staff and the communities in which we operate, see and experience the benefits our donations make first hand. In this case, the donations weren’t just financial. Staff from the region and Administration were all involved in the creation of this amazing partnership.