April 30th, 2023Just Sayin’…

By Donna Kelly

A FEW things.
First up, well done to Beck Lewis who, despite having breast cancer, is
spending her downtime from treatments encouraging others to get checked.
Amazingly she is nearly through her radiation treatments, they finish at the end of
this week, and all going well, that will be that. Sounds simple but of course the truth
is the worry of maybe, then the shock of it happening to you and then the never-ending trips to Ballarat and back for radiation therapy.
Beck got in early and has a 99.9 per cent chance of being able to look back at
“the little hurdle” over 2022/2023. So, please follow her call to keep health checks
happening – and many of us have been a little lax/reluctant over the past few years –
and stay on your game.
Cancer is something we all are going to have to face one day, or know someone
close to us who will face it, but science has come so far, so many can be removed or
treated. Of course, it’s still scary, but burying your head in the sand never worked
well for anyone. Well, it does for ostriches, they push their beaks into the sand to turn
their eggs over. True story.

Secondly, Nicole Chvastek and Statewide Drive being “temporarily replaced” by
the ABC due to “operational reasons” beyond their control. That’s nuts. It’s all under
their control. They are the ABC.
Why would an organisation like that remove the regional part of their weekday
Victorian radio service? Who else has a voice like that? And that is not just Statewide
Drive – that’s Nicole’s voice as well. I was lucky enough to do a few shows with
Nicole and it’s like watching a magician at work. She is on top of everything and
everyone. She can be as tough as nails when needed, hello pollies avoiding questions,
and as nice as pie at other times, hello regular callers.
I would sit there thinking about what I was going to say while Nicole was already
10 steps ahead of me, already working out the next segment while hitting buttons to
queue in interview grabs or let in a feisty listener. Pure gold. The ABC bloke I talked
to said he “believed” she would be back – and they would be mad if they let her walk
away. What a loss that would be for all of us in the regions.
Thirdly, and maybe finally, well done to all those people who donated to the
Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal – and to those who spent hours in
the rain shaking tins. It was a crappy, rainy day but there they were in high vis gear
hoping for a few bucks.
I knew they would be there so raided my piggy bank for a note and dropped it in
their tin. I hope you did the same. The Royal Children’s is an amazing place – full of
hope and love and science.
I did a short stint there when I was about seven years old. Very bad asthma attack.
I was at school, Grade 3 maybe, and the teachers noticed my breathing was getting a
little ragged and asked if I would like to go home. No, I said. I loved school. After a
while they just called Mum who called Dad and off I went to Melbourne.
It was a little different in the early 70s. One parent visit for one hour per day and
some pretty strict nurses. I remember a group of us kids getting told off for holding
wheelchair races down the corridor. But I got better and was home within a week. I
donate something every year.
I enjoyed this edition. Kyle was off in NZ – see his Rant – and while it was quiet I
felt like it was a nice little bit of alone time. Don’t tell him that. I had to do all the “I
missed you stuff” on his return but I was quite OK. Just sayin’..