“Cancer hasn’t been a curse, it’s been a blessing,” Tracey Beasley said while fighting back tears at the Team Tracey fundraiser, the 4 Band Night, at Club Sapphire on Saturday, July 25.
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“It sounds strange but through having cancer I have experienced the beauty of this community.
“The love and care I have received has been amazing. My kids will always know they are part of a community that cares, that’s loving and that will always support them.”
Tracey Beasley took to the stage in front of around 500 people on Saturday night absolutely overwhelmed with the support she had received from the community during her fight against stage IV melanoma.
The 4 Band Night, organised by Team Tracey raised approximately $13,000 through ticket sales and an auction, all of which will go towards supporting Tracey and her family through this tough time.
As well as seeing hundreds of people from the community rally behind her, Saturday night was special for Tracey for another reason.
For the first time since her mother’s funeral in June 2011, Tracey was reunited with all her siblings, including three brothers who flew down from Queensland specifically for the event.
“Mum’s wish was for us all to stay close and we have tried to do that but it is hard to all be at the same place at the same time. As much as I wish the circumstances were different it is amazing that we were all able to get together and enjoy this special night.”
Team Tracey announced on Saturday night that Tracey is merely weeks away from starting treatment with the breakthrough melanoma drug Keytruda which has recently been listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
This revolutionary drug which uses the power of the body’s own immune system to attack and reject the cancer has given Tracey new hope.
But even with Keytruda being listed on the PBS there are so many expenses associated with Tracey’s treatment which is why Tracey’s friends and members of the community are so insistent on doing whatever they can to make Tracey’s journey that little bit easier.
“Thank you Tracey for letting us invade your lives, it is a very personal journey you are on and sometimes it is hard to accept help,” a member of the Team Tracey committee said on Saturday night. “So thank you for letting us help you.”
The members of the Team Tracey committee worked tirelessly for weeks organising the event and said the night exceeded their expectations.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better evening,” a member of the Team Tracey committee said.
“It just went really really well, everyone was so well behaved and we are just so thankful for the support we have received from so many people.”
Team Tracey said the evening couldn’t have happened without the support of Club Sapphire, Sapphire Coast Buslines who safely chauffeured people to and from the club and of course the four bands, The KB’s, Black Velvet, Mondegreen and White Noise.
With the 4 Band Night completed it is back to work for Team Tracey who will be drawing their mega raffle at Club Sapphire from 6pm on Wednesday, August 5 and they are organising a car rally, with the help of the Top Pub Pambula, for October 10.
