One Brave Local Boy Will Again Take The Fight Against Blood Cancer Through His Inspiring Story
For the entire month of March, people all over Australia will be shaving their heads, waxing their legs, and dyeing their hair, supporting the Leukaemia Foundation.
However, this isn’t just any old fundraising campaign. The World’s Greatest Shave is a chance to show solidarity with those who have lost their hair and more due to chemotherapy treatment and raise awareness about blood cancer.
Taking the fight directly to blood cancer, a local high school student, Rhys, battled the disease himself after being diagnosed at 18 months of age… After inpatient treatment lasting five months and then visiting outpatients for over seven years, Rhys was finally declared disease-free.
A period that put a complete halt on the lives of Rhys’s family members; knowing first-hand the damaging effect blood cancer has on patients and their wider family and friend groups, Rhys has made it his mission to take his experience and share it with the world.
“Everyday people do not know how common blood cancer is and that it can affect everyone from a newborn baby to the elderly.” – Rhys.
“It is important that people are aware of how they can help the current and future patients in their treatment and recovery.”
Last year, Rhys raised well over his initial goal of $1,500, racking up a whopping $2,142 during his 2023 World’s Greatest Shave campaign. Seeing him bravely shave his head on stage in front of his entire school. You can see the video on his website.
Rhys is now continuing his fight against blood cancer under the name ‘Donate for.life’, a project run by Rhys, raising awareness and encouraging people to donate critical blood products at Red Cross LifeBlood and registering their Stem Cells on the Australian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
“Donate for Life is my long-term project, and I wish to encourage young people to help others in society. I want to help cancer patients, but I also feel that young people should learn about donating a wide range of things such as time, toys, food, and also registering on the Organ Donor Register. These are all accessible and free methods that anyone can use to help others and make our world a better place.”
From bold buzz cuts like Rhys to wild rainbow-coloured hair, there’s no limit to how you can get involved in this fantastic event. So, grab your razors, clippers, and hair dye, and check out ways to get involved in the fight against blood cancer. Let’s make this the greatest World’s Greatest Shave yet!
For more info on Rhys’s backstory and how to help get involved in the fight against blood cancer, visit www.donatefor.life. Or visit via social media:
Instagram: @rhysdonateforlife
Twitter: RhysDonateForLife
Facebook: Rhysdonateforlife
