Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

February is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Recently I went to Aldinga to have a cup of tea with Dean Rowe at a morning tea, held at TerryWhite Chemmart, organised in honour of Dean's late wife, Judith, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer in March 2017. It was one of many fundraisers organised by Dean. His signature event is a six-kilometre community walk held each February—it will be on 24 February this year—called Judith's Walk. It aims to raise awareness for ovarian cancer, which is sometimes referred to as the 'silent killer' because it is such a difficult cancer to detect. We know that more than 1,600 new cases of ovarian cancer are found every year.

Dean's wife, Judith, was diagnosed in 2015 when she was 80. After treatment, Judith went into remission but then the cancer came back with a vengeance. Dean was devastated. He and Judith had been married for 60 years and had built a life together, and a life of community service. Dean and Judith were regular walkers from Willunga to McLaren Vale and back, and that is why Dean has organised Judith's Walk. Dean has raised more than $20,000 for Ovarian Cancer Australia and the Cancer Council this year. Congratulations, Dean. I'm happy to do my bit to help you in raising awareness for ovarian cancer. Congratulations to Con, the owner of TerryWhite Chemmart; thank you for hosting Dean's morning tea. I look forward to working with Dean and Judith's Walk. It's a great memory for Judith.

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