ABOUT US
LET'S FIND A CURE FOUNDATION
Hello, my name is Sandra Berquist,
I grew up in Palm Beach on the Gold Coast but born in country NSW. Across the road along the side of our house at Palm Beach, was all forestry and bushland, which is now the highway and Elanora.
I went to primary school in Coolangatta on the hill, we had the best view of any school, although as kids we didn’t appreciate it. I went to Miami High, which at the time was the only high school from Coolangatta to Miami.
Over the years I have worked all over the Gold Coast and Tweed Heads doing different jobs, from cleaning houses, schools, shopping centres, clubs, pubs, working as a shop assistant in many different types of businesses, photographic receptionist at Jack Evens Porpoise Pool, worked at the Ten Pin Bowling Centre in Tweed Heads on and off for about 20 years.
I still remember the regulars but have forgotten some of their names, worked as a breakfast cook, food demonstrator in supermarkets which I loved doing, driving as far as Ballina, Lismore, Casino and up the other way to Robina.
My sister Dianne and I travelled the world, drove around Europe in an old VW and lived and worked in England. Looked after polo horses which Prince Charles was a team member, worked as a nanny, bar attendant, which is very funny as I’m allergic to alcohol and can’t drink the stuff and knew nothing about alcoholic drinks. The last 36 years, I have lived in the same place in Bogangar NSW.
I have volunteered for a few charities over the years and I decided to start this charity to raise funds for Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer. I call them women’s bits. Ovarian was added after customer feedback. The money goes to research and I am proud to say I have raised $35,000 in the past year and a half but It’s also thanks to the people that support me when I go into the shopping Centres and support a cure for cancer.
QIMR Berghofer Research centre in Brisbane is the recipient of the money I raise. They have assured me that all the money I donate to them, is spent on research for breast and ovarian cancer. I chose the research centre because of their research into mental illness.
I looked after my dear sister for many years, her mental health deteriorated slowly as she got older, a year before her 65th birthday she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and passed away just after her birthday. Before the mental illness took over, she was the sweetest lady, not a mean bone in her body and would help anyone out. I miss her every day.
I was left with an empty house and no close friends, I needed something to do. When my sisters super came to me, I decided to start a charity and get myself out to talk to other lonely people.
The charity is a small one, run by volunteers with no wages or big staff expenses and I pick up some of the running costs myself. The charity keeps, my, over active mind occupied and I enjoy going to different shopping centres each week to sell breast and ovarian cancer products and enjoy chatting to the locals. Ladies also drop off their wigs that they no longer need and I take them to Cancer Council in Southport to the wig library. This is where any lady finding it hard financially, going through cancer treatment and cannot afford a wig, can borrow one from the library. They are fitted and shown how to care for the wig.
I have done many seminars and read many self-help books over the years and this is what I have learnt.
Our brains do not recognise the words, don’t, not, can’t, never. Our brains cannot, not see something. The saying is, always ask for what you want and forget about what you don’t want. Children are a great example, when asking them not to do something, they will do exactly what you have told them not to do. That’s because children think in pictures, they are not being naughty or disobedient, it’s because they cannot see themselves not doing what you have asked them not to do.
If I tell you not to think of a big black elephant with red graffiti down its sides, gold bells hanging off the tusks glistening in the sun, a gold tassel on its forehead – what are you thinking of? But I told you not too………
Example: Instead of “don’t run onto the road” to “be safe and stay on the footpath”.
Instead of “don’t take drugs” to “stay away from drugs and live a happy and productive life” Once they picture themselves taking drugs, you unintentionally set them up to fail. Take away the don’t, what they see is themselves taking drugs. If It’s offered to them in the future, they won’t know why but they will take them.
Instead of “I support cancer” to “I support a cure for cancer”,
Instead of “I hope I don’t get (disease)” to “I hope I stay healthy”
When checking your breasts each week, you are checking for healthy breasts, when going for a mammogram, you are checking for healthy breasts. Say it to yourself over and over, “I’m checking for healthy breasts”. It’s my experience in life, if you go looking for something hard enough, you will eventually find it. After you have finished checking your healthy breasts, you can say “thank you universe for my healthy breast and healthy body”. It helps to visual healthy breasts and a healthy body. When anyone asks me at my table if I’ve had breast cancer, I always say, I’m one of the lucky ones, my breasts are healthy. You can apply this way of thinking to everything in life and remember, what you think today is creating your future.
