1910 days ago

Melahomi Jandal Strutter raises $3000 to fight cancer

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

Cancer survivor Shane Callaghan has walked a harrowing 76.4 kilometres in jandals to raise funds for other cancer sufferers.

The self-described Melahomi Jandal Strutter said his feet were "pretty shot" after the trek but it was a small price to pay to help those suffering from cancer.

One pair of jandals melted into his feet and turned them black as he took on the annual Relay for Life fundraiser over two days.

"My right big toe blistered up badly to the point that I had to cut the side of it open to release the pressure," the 56-year-old said.

"I had a few blisters on my feet. But it's nothing compared to cancer so I don't care about it," he said.

The Te Atatu Peninsula resident raised nearly $3000 for the Cancer Society walking the Jack Lovelock track in Mt Roskill for nine hours and Albany's AUT Millenium Stadium for another gruelling nine hours.

During his weekend quest, he met a young athlete who had lost the lower part of her leg to cancer at 13 and was training for the Tokyo Paralympics next year.

She joined Callaghan for a few laps around the North Shore stadium.

"She was such an inspiration and I enjoyed talking to her," he said.

"I hope she gets to Tokyo and does well. "

Callaghan was diagnosed with critical stage four cancer in 2017 and was given 15 per cent or less of surviving.

"But I refused to give up, " he said.

"Now against the odds after my last scan I'm cancer free."

Callaghan said he thought good healthcare and a positive attitude had helped him to beat the disease.

"I do joke about cancer a lot, probably too much, but I do, " he said.

"For me, I can't feel down or anything because it affects my family.

"Even I might have been going through a couple of hard times but no-one ever knew because I just kept joking around."

Callaghan said he faces surgery on Tuesday to have his appendix and a hernia removed, possibly side effects of the disease.

The Melahomi Jandal Strutter said he was grateful to his wife, family and friends for their support during his cancer journey.

More messages from your neighbours
11 hours ago

Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑

Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.

We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?

Want to read more? The Press has you covered!

Image
🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
  • 56.6% Human-centred experience and communication
    56.6% Complete
  • 13.2% Critical thinking
    13.2% Complete
  • 26.3% Resilience and adaptability
    26.3% Complete
  • 3.9% Other - I will share below!
    3.9% Complete
76 votes
1 day ago

Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

Make a hearty dish. Take just half a minute. Add four parts of kestrel. Then just add one. What have you made?

(Trev from Silverdale kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Trev!)

Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.

Image
7 days ago

Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙

One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.

So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?

Image
Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
  • 59.8% Yes, supporting people is important!
    59.8% Complete
  • 26.1% No, individuals should take responsibility
    26.1% Complete
  • 14.1% ... It is complicated
    14.1% Complete
1199 votes