For one hour in the courtyard of Parliament House, a handmade gold ribbon cookie gave Members and parliamentary staff a reason to stop.
Some collected a cookie and continued with their day. Others stayed to talk about childhood cancer, the research happening here in Western Australia and the challenges children and families can continue to face long after treatment ends.
The cookies caught people’s attention, but the message behind them mattered most: children affected by cancer and their families must remain at the forefront of our minds and the decisions we make.
With the support of Hon Matthew Swinbourn MLC and his office, the Child Cancer Research Foundation (CCRF) was invited to Parliament House on Tuesday 15 September as part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
CCRF Chair Tracy Hollington, Head of Development Michele Dalton, and Ambassador and childhood cancer survivor Georgia Lowry spent an hour in the courtyard handing out cookies and speaking directly with Members and staffers about childhood cancer, research, treatment and life beyond cancer.
Premier Roger Cook MLA was among those who stopped to show their support. Hugh Jones MLA also spent time speaking with the CCRF team, including a longer conversation with Georgia about her experience of childhood cancer and life after treatment. Georgia’s lived experience brought an important personal voice to the conversations, connecting discussions about research and support with the reality faced by children and families.
The meaning behind each cookie
The gold ribbon is the international symbol of childhood cancer awareness. Our thanks go to local small business owner, and CCRF supporter, Stacey Walton from By the Brook Creations who was commissioned by CCRF to make 550 Childhood Cancer Awareness Ribbon Cookies for the wider awareness initiative. Her talents and care in bringing our vision to life, have been wonderful.
Each cookie was individually packaged with information about childhood cancer and a QR code inviting people to support research. Ingredients and allergy warnings were also included on the back of each card, allowing every recipient to make their own decision about consumption.
The cookies offered a simple way to begin conversations that may not otherwise have happened. As Stacey said, “That is pretty powerful for one little cookie.”
Keeping childhood cancer in the conversation
For 46 years, the Child Cancer Research Foundation has funded childhood cancer research in Western Australia. In the 2023–24 financial year, CCRF provided over $1.25 million in research funding and supported 28 scientists through the Telethon Kids Cancer Centre. Research has helped improve survival, but surviving childhood cancer is not the end of the story. Treatment can continue to affect a child’s health, learning, development and well-being for years to come.
Political awareness matters. Decisions about budgets, research funding and family support can shape the care children receive today, and the lives they are able to lead after treatment.
CCRF was at Parliament House for only one hour, but within that hour, Members and staffers stopped, listened and spoke with people who understand the impact of childhood cancer personally.
We sincerely thank Hon Matthew Swinbourn MLC and his office for their incredible support, and for giving CCRF the opportunity to bring this important conversation to Parliament House. We also thank every Member and staffer who took the time to speak with us on the day.
One cookie can start a conversation. A conversation can help keep childhood cancer in the minds of people with the power to make a difference.
