Dry July NZ Trust

Canterbury Regional Cancer & Haematology Service will use a portion of their Dry July funds to upgrade their music system in the radiation bunkers.

By digitising the music system, this will allow patients who are undergoing Radiation Therapy Treatment in a Linac Accelerator to select their own music. 

Listening to music has been demonstrated to decrease anxiety and pain levels in medical settings. 

Dry July funds have gone towards the fit-out and furnishing of the new Northern Region Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in Auckland. 

This is a purpose-built facility that will promote wellness and provide an outstanding environment for patients. It has been co-designed with patients and families, with features aimed at improving the quality of care and healing process for patients. 

Dry July helped to fund projects such as the installation of wall murals to brighten up wards, the purchase of TV’s and carer beds for patient rooms, and a “Dry July” room - a welcoming space for patients and families to spend time while receiving treatment.

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Auckland District Health Board will use a portion of Dry July funds to purchase new water coolers for patient treatment rooms.

Patients can and do suffer from nausea and vomiting as a consequence of their cancer and the treatment. By having easily accessible cold filtered water, it encourages patients to drink, and this helps to minimise dehydration. 

Patients have said they do not like the metallic taste of the tap water but they really enjoy drinking the filtered water, therefore having additional water coolers in the patients treatment rooms will be of great benefit to the patients.

“Early this year, Nurse Maude Hospice received 4 alternating air overlay mattresses through the Dry July funding. These mattresses have been in current use since delivery in the inpatient Hospice area for those patients with cancer who are receiving palliative care. The mattresses provide not only pressure area care but also bring relief and comfort and enable patients to sleep better. Previous to owning these mattresses Nurse Maude Hospice were hiring mattresses on a daily basis. The money saved from hiring is now being put to other use in providing specialist palliative care.

The whole team at Nurse Maude Hospice are very grateful for all those who abstained (no mean feat!) over the month of July and for the donations received to enable the purchase of such important equipment. Thank you so much for your support.”

Jane Rollings, Hospital and Hospice Palliative Service Manager 

Nurse Maude’s Hospice Palliative Care service is provided across the greater Canterbury region, including Kaikoura, Ashburton, Banks Peninsula, Hanmer Springs and across the West Coast. 

Canterbury DHB has used Dry July donations to purchase six electric beds and two patient chairs for the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, as well as twelve news patient chairs for their Chemotherapy Day Ward. 

As always, the hospital is so grateful for the DJs who raise funds to improve the wellbeing of adult cancer patients.