Meet Steven, one of our Cancer Patient Transport Service passengers

Meet Steven! You may have seen him in our Giving Day video, where he featured as one of our Cancer Patient Transport passengers.

Steven has been a Gold Coast local for six years and has recently adopted a cat named Pugsley from the Animal Welfare League to keep him company.

Over the last year, Steven has become very familiar with the hospital halls. He received radiation last year and regularly comes to the hospital for treatment. Before discovering the Cancer Patient Transport Service, Steven would drive to Pacific Fair and then catch the tram to the hospital, which was a big day that would take its toll when he was feeling the effects of his radiation.

“It was a battle, but I made it,” said Steven, displaying his easy-going and positive attitude.

On his third bout of cancer, this time suffering from bowel cancer, Steven visits the Oncology Ward and his doctors at Gold Coast University Hospital once a week. The short trip from Carrara in the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation Cancer Transport Vehicle makes a world of difference to what can often be a long day.

“The Cancer Transport Service is great. The drivers are really nice. I usually have the same drivers; Dave is a nice fellow, and Cherry is very kind,” said Steven.

Dave Langham, one of the drivers from the Cancer Transport Service, says it has been wonderful building a rapport with Steven over the last several months. “I only took him home late Wednesday afternoon, and I said, ‘You must be down to the single treatment digits,’ and Steven said, ‘Yeah, I only have five to go,’ so it’s nice to share those milestones with him,” said Dave.

Dave says his favourite thing about being a Cancer Patient Transport driver is helping our community and seeing the difference the transport service makes to people’s lives. “The key thing for me is being helpful for someone who is so vulnerable and going through a tough time. I think our clients really appreciate the work that the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation does and the support of the drivers. I’ve been involved in volunteer work for quite some time but I really enjoy getting to see the impact we make with each trip,” said Dave.

You can learn more about our Cancer Patient Transport Service here.