The Cancer Council's much-loved Daffodil Day is on Friday, raising money for vital research.
Canberra landmarks including the Carillon, Telstra Tower and Kings Avenue Bridge will light up in yellow in support of the cause.
In 2020, Daffodil Day celebrates 34 years of turning Australia yellow. Cancer Council ACT is aiming to raise more than $65,000 through the appeal.
This year, Daffodil Day may look a little different due to no formal program of events thanks to the coronavirus, but the Cancer Council ACT is urging Canberrans to support the day by hosting yellow-themed fundraisers and by purchasing fresh daffodils online in support.
Money raised through the Daffodil Day Appeal will help fund life-saving cancer research.
Among those to have been literally saved by cancer research is 25-year-old Gungahlin defence contractor Ben Wrankmore. After developing a persistent cough, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma at the age of 20.
He was told it was an easy cancer to treat, but that wasn't the case for Ben.
After two years of treatment, including 20 rounds of three types of chemotherapy, Ben was told treatment was not successful and the chance of going into remission was low. He then underwent surgery to remove a tumour and endured four weeks of radiotherapy.
He was finally in remission - and it was at this point he was rushed through for a stem cell transplant. While Ben remains in remission two years on, he has suffered side effects such as graft-versus-host disease.
It is only through high-level cancer research that survival rates for Hodgkin lymphoma have improved.
Ben knows he is alive today because of research.
"Oh God, yes. We've seen first-hand where the money from the donations goes," he said.
Part of his treatment was at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, which relies on donations.
See ways you can support Daffodil Day at daffodilday.com.au/act.
