SHARON Hine is one Cairns woman whose life is being turned around by the humble timber pallet. Her life has gone from that of a financial adviser, to a talented pallet furniture and candle creator. “I had a...
Year: 2016
Medics to the rescue
THE right doctors and nurses were in the right place at the right time to save a woman’s life during the Mount Franklin Cardiac Challenge. Event organisers were blown away during a medical situation on day two, to...
Every pedal saves lives
REAL estate agent, husband, dad, grandfather, master pizza maker, cyclist and philanthropist. These are all words used to sum up Tony Nastasi, one of the most dedicated participants in the Mount Franklin Cardiac...
New heart gives new life
JOHN Nomoa will probably never take for granted the ability to run and play games with his mates. That's because he knows what it's like to not be able to do the things normal healthy, active kids do. The now...
Simba helps cardiac patient
TROY Thompson is a fully-fledged member of the “zipper club” and has been since he was a baby. Now a strapping 21-year-old lad, Troy has been accompanied on his cardiac journey by Simba, given to him by his...
Yummy eggplant recipe
The humble eggplant is used in the cuisines all over the world. In Indian cuisine it is often described as the "king of vegetables". It is often stewed, as in the French ratatouille, or deep fried as in the Italian...
Hardware team rises to challenge
WORKING together as a team is what motivates the Cairns Hardware Mount Franklin Cardiac Challenge team. The group of 21, most of whom work for the hardware business, are new to cycling, but very excited to take on...
Recycling ticks all boxes
The Power of Pallets charity fundraiser ticks all the boxes for the Durie family. Brothers Chris and Jamie Durie are both taking part in the pallet recycling charity auction because of its core values. ...
Rapt in fundraising
IT might be August, but volunteers are already getting excited about wrapping thousands of Christmas presents. The Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation is looking for volunteers to help wrap presents at Cairns...
Cairns’ Spencer Trifecta
They're known as the Spencer Trifecta, Spencer 1, 2 and 3 or simply as Spencer. Some might even call them the Three Amigos! Regardless, Spencer Irvin, Spencer Grey and Spencer Hancock are all nurses within Cairns...
Big man has big heart
HENRY Williams is a big man and he has a big heart to match – so big that he is gearing up for his second Mount Franklin Cardiac Challenge. He is one of the founding members of the Wuchopperen Health Service Cardiac...
Cairns link to bike win
IT was ironic that Paul Rosman's visit to see his ailing mother in Cairns, resulted in him winning a motorcycle raffle that benefits health services. Mr Rosman, an airline pilot living in Victoria, bought two lots of...
Jasmyne’s a heart hero
Sixteen years ago, a baby girl was born at Cairns Base Hospital. We'd like to say she was healthy, but she wasn't. Baby Jasmyne Stead was born with a rare heart malformation – Ebstein's anomoly. What it means...
Building a better future
RACHEL and James Fennell might be in the building industry, but this week they helped build a better future for cancer patients in the Far North. The couple, owners of Urban Properties, handed over a cheque for $20,000 to...
Mocktail Masterclass
Don’t be a hero – get checked
“I’m 52 and I’ve got prostate cancer and I’m finished.” They might be blunt words from Adriano Bortolanza but he sure makes a point. He and his family are passionate about detection,...
Harley prize stuns winner
“REALLY? Really?” “Yes, really Paul Rosman, you've won the Harley-Davidson.” It took a couple of phone calls on Saturday night for Wayne Leonard to convince the Victorian man he had won...
If you go into the woods …
IF you go down to the woods on Sunday, you're sure of a big surprise. If you go down to the woods on Sunday, you'd better go in disguise. For Sunday's the day the teddy bears have their picnic. The...
Cairns couple’s weekend away
WHO would have thought that spending two days around a bunch of motorbike enthusiasts, would equate to a couple's weekend away? For Jack and Michelle Emeleus, that's exactly what it is – and the annual Wayne...
Top surgery technology for Cairns
Orthopaedic trauma patients in the Far North are the first in Queensland to undergo surgery via state-of-the-art computer guided technology. The Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation bought the $398,000 technology for...
Chain gang for Cairns premmies
PREMATURE babies in the Far North might not be able to talk yet, but we are sure that if they could, they would say a big thank you to the Cairns community which gave so generously at the chain gang challenge...