Melahomi Jandal Strutter raises $3000 to fight cancer
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.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
It’s Riddle Time! Beat the Neighbourhood with Your Smarts!
Which of the following words don't belong in the group and why?
CORSET, COSTER, SECTOR, ESCORT, COURTS
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Loading…
