History at a Glance
Dr David Joske, Head of Haematology at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, founded the SolarisCare Foundation in September 2001 for the specific purpose of providing "a soft place to land" for West Australian cancer patients and their carers.
SolarisCare Cancer Support Centres are integrated with mainstream medical care and aim to provide patients with practical skills to cope with the emotional and physical side effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. SolarisCare offers support and information to anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer and is receiving treatment, regardless of age, gender, type of cancer, or socio economic status. It is the first of its kind Australia.
Over the last ten years, more than 35,000 free complementary treatments have been provided by a dedicated team of over 150 SolarisCare volunteers. It is now evident with the positive response and ongoing heavy demand for complementary therapies, plus the support from nurses, doctors and hospital administrations, that SolarisCare Cancer Support Centres are changing the face of cancer care in Western Australia.
All SolarisCare services are free of charge to cancer patients and their carers.
