For most of us, “home” is defined by the people who wait for us there. But for Robbie*, a young man in his 30s who moved to Australia on his own years ago, home was a distant concept. His early years here were marked by physical trauma and scars that still weigh on his body and spirit today. Just as he was trying to find his footing, life dealt another devastating blow: a diagnosis of advanced, terminal cancer.
When Robbie first walked through the doors of ADRA Blacktown, he was looking for a meal. What he found was a lifeline.
compassion in the crisis
Because Robbie’s illness prevents him from working, food security was his immediate crisis. However, ADRA volunteers quickly realised his hunger was for more than just physical nourishment. During a quiet conversation, a volunteer sensed the heavy burden Robbie was carrying and gently suggested that speaking with a counsellor might help lessen the weight.
Now, nearly 18 months later, Robbie has become a familiar face at the centre. His life is a gruelling journey. Between courses of chemotherapy, blood transfusions and hospitalisations, Robbie is a frequent visitor for food assistance and counselling.
dignity in the details
The volunteers have come to know Robbie’s needs in detail. They understand which foods he can tolerate with his cancer treatment and carefully prepare his food parcels to ensure they are both nourishing and gentle on his system.
The physical support is vital, but the emotional support he has received has proved equally important. Robbie often expresses how attending a counselling appointment “lifts his spirits”, providing a sense of peace amidst his treatment. In a country where he has no biological family, the team at ADRA has become the community he can lean on.
Robbie sums up his experience with a smile that defies his circumstances:
“ADRA is one of the best places in Sydney. And with the best food.”
John Cresswell is a counsellor at ADRA Blacktown Community Centre. Your support ensures that for people like Robbie, no-one has to face their darkest chapters alone. Please give today at adra.org.au/blacktown.
* Name changed for privacy purposes.
