A gift in your Will can fund research and support Kiwi families.
This content was prepared by the Cancer Society and is being published by The New Zealand Herald as Advertorial.
For Tanya Schipper, memories of her mum, Joy, are full of warmth, humour, and strength. They are also marked by the heartbreak of cancer.
Joy started smoking when she was young, in the 1950s and ‘60s, when it was seen as glamorous. Decades later, at 67, she developed black ulcers in her mouth – the first sign of what would become a devastating terminal cancer diagnosis.
Tanya and her sisters cared for their mum for a year as the cancer advanced.
“It was horrific,” Tanya says.
During that time Tanya was also raising her own family. Overwhelmed by all she was carrying, Tanya turned to the Cancer Society for support.
“I talked to one of the Cancer Society psychologists because I was really struggling,” she says. “The psychologist really helped; she was amazing.”
The Cancer Society provides free psychology sessions, support groups and practical help for New Zealanders facing cancer and their families.
Even in her final months, Tanya’s mum was still caring for her daughters. She was always thinking of us in every way, right until the end”, shares Tanya. Joy quietly pre-arranged her own funeral with Tanya’s husband John, a funeral director, saying, “I will organise everything, so you girls have less to do.”
She sorted family photos, cleared boxes, and chose what she wanted to wear.
Joy passed away peacefully on Mother’s Day in 2012, aged 68.
“I miss her,” Tanya says. “She missed my boys’ graduations and future wedding. She’d be so proud.”
Seeing what her mum went through, and experiencing the Cancer Society’s support first-hand, inspired Tanya to leave a gift in her will.
“I like what Cancer Society stands for. I’m so appreciative of the support Cancer Society offers and incredibly passionate about the research. I hope by leaving a gift, cancer researchers will find a cure one day.”
Every year, more than 28,000 New Zealanders hear the words “you have cancer”, and cancer remains the country’s leading cause of death. Gifts left in wills help the Cancer Society fund life-saving research, provide emotional and practical support, and ensure no family faces cancer alone.
This September is National Wills Month, and the Cancer Society is inviting New Zealanders to create a legally binding will for free through its partnership with Footprint, New Zealand’s largest online will provider.
After taking care of loved ones, including a gift to the Cancer Society can create a lasting legacy of hope for future generations.
To learn more or start your free online will, visit Footprint’s Cancer Society page: https://partners.myfootprint.co.nz/cancer-society.
For confidential gift in will enquiries, contact Anna Strachan, Relationship Manager, on 09 308 0247 or legacy@akcansoc.org.nz.