Celebrating 30 years of Bosom Buddies

Gail Murray, Principal Broker, Gallagher Insurance and also the President of Bosom Buddies from November 2023 to May 2025. Gail was instrumental in bringing the event together and was the brainchild behind the side show alley and corporate sponsorship. Her goal was to raise as much funds as possible for Bosom Buddies and was an opportunity to educate people in business about the impacts of breast cancer.

Paul Walshe OAM has kindly agreed to MC the event and there will be a panel discussion that consists of Dr’s, Nurses and current patients to talk through their experiences and awareness. Paul is currently the Manager of the Raiders Foundation, a position he has held for over 6 years and prior to joining the Canberra Raiders, Paul had 37 years with Canberra based energy company ActewAGL with the last 20 of those years as a senior executive managing the marketing and corporate affairs department. Paul is a passionate advocate for the local community with being awarded life membership of the ACT Eden Monaro Cancer Support Group, now known as Rise Above and the Queanbeyan Tigers Football Club. Previous volunteer board positions held include Directions ACT and the Phillip Oval Management Group, which included 4 years as Chair. Paul continues his volunteer work today as Chair of Respite Care for Queanbeyan, an organisation that is building a 6-bedroom respite care facility (Yvonne Cuschieri House), for people aged 18 to 60 that suffer from a terminal or chronic illness. Paul was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2017 and was a finalist in the 2018 ACT Australian of the Year Awards.

Rebecca Martin is a proud Wiradjuri woman born and raised on Ngunnawal Ngambri Country. She is 29 years old and the mother of a 9-year-old son, Easton. Caring for others has always been at the heart of who she is and she began her working career as a preschool educator at just 16 years old. By aged 22 Rebecca became a foster carer. Supporting and looking after those around her became a constant part of her life even when faced with her own health issues. At the age of 26, in 2023, she was diagnosed with stage 2B, grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma which later spread to her lymph nodes. On the same day as receiving her diagnosis, she also learnt she had been accepted into the Indigenous Apprenticeship Program and despite grueling treatment successfully completed the Indigenous Apprenticeship Program and achieved a Diploma in Government. In 2024 she was honored with the 2024 ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year Award and later received a promotion at the Department of Parliamentary Services.

Dr Gorddard graduated from the University of Western Australia Medical School in 1994 and has been a qualified Medical Oncologist since 2004. Her specialty interest areas are breast cancer and head and neck cancers. Dr Gorddard is a Senior Staff Specialist at The Canberra Hospital and Senior Lecturer at the ANU Medical School. She is actively involved in the Medical Oncology Clinical Trials Unit at The Canberra Hospital, assists with teaching of the ANU medical students as well as junior medical staff at The Canberra Hospital, and is the current chair of the ACT Health Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary Meeting. She has two sessions a week at National Capital Medical Specialists on Tuesday and Friday mornings.

Liz is a principal physiotherapist and is passionate about providing a holistic approach to recovery. She has a particular interest in exercise prescription and has developed an evidence-based exercise program which is now available at the Clinic. Liz, the Director of Positive Motion Pty Ltd (Trading as Positive Motion Physiotherapy), completed her physiotherapy qualification at the University of Queensland. She then completed Level 1 Lymphoedema training in Sydney and gained further experience working at Calvary Hospital’s Lymphoedema Service (Calvary Health Care ACT), working closely with surgeons, oncologists and Breast Care Nurses (ACT Health) to provide integrated care for patients with lymphoedema. She is passionate about providing holistic care to assist clients to maintain independence through a healthy lifestyle. She has a special interest in exercise as a management strategy for recovery and have been developed an evidence-based weights-training class designed to improve function and quality of life for those who are at risk of, or those who have developed upper limb lymphoedema (Cornie, P, Pumpa, K., Galvao, A., Turner, E. et al., Journal of Cancer Survivorship vol. 7 (2), June 2013). She is fortunate to be able to combine skills as a musculoskeletal and lymphoedema physiotherapist to assist patients to return to, and/or maintain, optimal function. Liz is a member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, in addition to the Australian Lymphology Association (ALA), and is registered with the National Lymphoedema Practitioners’ Register (NLPR). Liz has also completed her PINC and STEEL certification.

Karen McKinnon is one of the breast care nurses at North Canberra Hospital Karen has been a registered nurse for 31 years, has a Masters in Critical Care and a Graduate Diploma in Breast Cancer Nursing. She has worked many years in critical care before taking on her role as a breast care nurse 9 years ago. Karen is very passionate about providing the best holistic support she can to patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Karen's journey into breast care nursing was inspired by a passion for providing support and education to patients facing breast cancer including young patients some who have been diagnosed whilst pregnant. Karen says ‘It's about making a difference in the lives of our patients. Knowing they have support, and guidance makes a massive difference to their outcomes.’

Marilyn moved to Canberra in 1967 from Inverell as a public servant main computer operator. She has 2 children and 6 grandchildren and later worked at the ANU library at the end of her career. Marilyn was diagnosed at age 47 with breast cancer after finding a lump. She was also one of the original Bosom Buddies with Di Summer-Hays.

Marilyn also moved to Canberra in 1967 from Sydney with her husband who was a public servant, and she worked as a psychologist. She has 2 children and 3 grandchildren and later worked at the CIT library. Marilyn retired from work aged 61 in March and was diagnosed with breast cancer in June after a routine mammogram.

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