Turning loss into something positive
Joy Nash lives near the water in Newcastle area. She has always loved open spaces and having a gorgeous garden, and she lived with her husband, Peter, on a farm for many years. Growing up, Peter had lived on a farm at Canowindra, and then in Young. His parents had instilled the importance of caring and being community minded. He was never one to shy away from hard work.
These grounded roots gave Peter Nash and his family a drive and passion for helping others.
Joy met Peter at a local school dance when she was just 16 years old. They married, and had two beautiful daughters, Kerry and Libby. Joy describes Peter as a gorgeous, generous loving father, with a beautiful voice and an
adventurous soul.
Peter was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at just 51 years of age. Pancreatic cancer can be aggressive and difficult to treat, as it rarely shows symptoms in the early stages. Peter was able to walk his daughter Kerry down the aisle but he passed away 10 months after diagnosis. Sadly, Libby had to accept that her father did not make it for her wedding day.
It has been a tough road for the family, but their true spirit and dedication to help others is inspiring. After Peter passed away, the family became very actively involved in fundraising for, and increasing awareness of, the cancer cause: participating in their local Cancer Council NSW Relay For Life and completing several impressive treks. They have not stopped there and hoping to do more fundraising activities in the near future. Joy has also kindly included a gift to Cancer Council NSW in her will.
Cancer Council NSW is committed to funding world-class research on pancreatic cancer. The goal of this research is to understand the causes of this cancer, as well as discover ways to tackle its diagnosis and treatment in order to improve therapies and survival rates. In the last five years alone, Cancer Council NSW has contributed more than $5.2 million to this area, and supported several important research projects led by prominent experts. Much of this investment is made possible by fundraising such as that carried out by the Nash family – and by gifts bestowed in wills from generous people like Joy.
“I would recommend fundraising to anyone; it helped with the healing, because it was so rewarding and fulfilling,” says Joy.
“But find what suits you. There are so many ways to help and give back, even through volunteering and advocacy. This is why people should also consider a gift in their will, as it helps you turn the loss of a loved one into something positive.”
If you would like to leave a gift in your will or find out more, please click or call (02) 9334 1479.
