Bairnsdale Regional Health Service (BRHS) staff, volunteers, friends and family marked the festive season recently by participating in the Bairnsdale Christmas Parade.

More than 50 people joined the parade with the theme of the float being ‘Thank you to our local community’.

Each year BRHS receives thousands of dollars in donations from individuals and community groups. These funds go towards purchasing items from the ‘wish list’ which can include desperately needed medical equipment, upgrades to current equipment and even furniture or entertainment items to make patients’ time at the service more comfortable.

This year BRHS teamed up with John and Rhys Aitken, of Aitken Towing, making use of their fantastic truck to use as the float.

John donated much of his valuable time to helping with planning, setting up and packing up and driving the truck on the day.

Just over 12 months ago John’s beloved wife, Judith, passed away from breast cancer. Judith had much of her treatment at BRHS over a fiveyear period and John felt this was a great way for him to give something back to the hospital.

“The doctors and nurses in oncology at BRHS are second to none. They do an incredible job every day and they often do not receive the recognition they should,” he said.

John’s truck is sign written in the pink breast cancer theme featuring the Breast Cancer Foundation logo and a memorial to Judith.

The BRHS team felt it was a fitting vehicle to use for the parade and used the pink and silver theme throughout their decorations.

John and Judith were married for 17 years. Judith, who was born in Lilydale, moved to Bairnsdale in 1987 with her family and eventually purchased the block next door to her parents and then built her own house on it.

John, born in Bega, moved to Bairnsdale around 18 years ago. They shared the same group of friends and eventually met and were married not long after. Six years later their son Rhys was born.

Judith worked in Allied Health at Gippsland Lakes Community Health for 18 years. John describes Judith as a beautiful, loving mother, the best Rhys could ask for. She loved the outdoors, the high country and the ocean and was often found tending to her garden at the home they adored. She was very fit and active and loved to be kept busy. “Judith was the backbone of our business and she’s the reason it’s successful today. Even when she was ill she still urged me to go ahead with the business as she knew it would give me a reason to be at home and have a focus once she passed,” John said.

Prior to starting the business John spent much of his time working away for various companies.

“Now I am lucky to have a good support system around me so I can continue to work and Rhys is well cared for.”

John started the breast cancer awareness art work on his first truck when Judith was alive and has since had his two other vehicles sign written to match.

“I get so many comments about them, it’s really great that people stop and ask about it and then say how great it is.”

BRHS nurse unit manager of oncology, Kay Stephenson, said it was wonderful to be able to share the Christmas Parade this year with John and Rhys, as she got to know them both very well over the time Judith spent at BRHS.

“We don’t always get to see the families of our former patients, so it was really nice to be able to see how John and Rhys are going and to see the memorial art work for Judith on the truck. We are always grateful in oncology when people decide to donate time or money to our cause,” she said.

John is looking at ways he can further help oncology in 2019 and is considering running a competition for his customers who use his water cart.

“I am looking at offering a deal where each time the water cart is used I will donate $10 from that sale to oncology throughout the month of January and then each customer who opts in to this deal can go in the running to win a free truck load of water,” he said.

Picture: Bairnsdale Regional Health Service (BRHS) staff, volunteers, friends and family marked the festive season recently by participating in the Bairnsdale Christmas Parade, supporting the theme ‘Thank you to our local community’. BRHS teamed up with John and Rhys Aitken, of Aitken Towing, making use of their fantastic truck to use as the float. John donated much of his time to helping with planning, setting up and packing up and driving the truck on the day. (PS)