Fernlea House president Jan Lancaster and Latrobe MP Jason Wood cut the ribbon to open the long awaited palliative care facility. With them are grounds coordinator Wayne Francis and Fernlea supporters Glenys Francis and Helen Pike. By Tania Martin
A DREAM was realised last week with the opening of the first ever hills palliative care day unit after more than five years of extensive lobbying.
Fernlea House located in Emerald will provide palliative care for people with life threatening illnesses such as cancer.
The vision for a palliative care in the hills was born around the kitchen table of Fernlea House president Jan Lancaster five years ago.
Ms Lancaster had a vision that she shared with a small group of women, which then grew to become a project that was supported by federal members of parliament and the local community.
Fernlea volunteer Glenys Francis said in the beginning the group had no money and no way of raising any.
Since then the group had campaigned tirelessly to get what is now the first palliative day care unit in the hills, she said.
Mrs Francis said the group battled along, continuing to campaign until La Trobe MP Jason Wood got involved in the project because his father had a terminal illness.
Although at that stage Mr Wood was not an MP, once elected he took the issue all the way to Canberra.
Mr Wood said that after being elected he spoke to Liberal colleague David Davis, the Victorian opposition health spokesman, about Fernlea who also thought it was a worthwhile cause.
“I then met with the Health Minister, Tony Abbott and pleaded with Prime Minister John Howard to help the Fernlea project along,” he said.
In June Fernlea House was awarded $800,000 from the Federal Government.
Mr Woods said he would continue to push for Federal Government funding for Fernlea, and that was now time for the State Government to help.
John Mailer, 86, of Bayswater lives with his stepson and will attend Fernlea to take the pressure off his carers and to enjoy the social interaction with others.
Mr Mailer said Fernlea House was a great facility and that he really enjoyed the scenery, which had a “number one bush setting and garden”.
