Living alone in Gympie with his two beloved dogs, Samuel was doing his best to keep going while facing something unimaginable: cancer of the face.
In his early 50s, he didn’t qualify for My Aged Care. He wasn’t eligible for the Patient Transport Scheme to get from Gympie to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, a round trip of nearly 170km. And while he was trying to navigate the NDIS system, there was no certainty if, or when, that support would come. Like so many others, Samuel was stuck between systems. Too unwell to manage everything on his own, but not considered “eligible” enough to receive help when he needed it most.
He needed to travel regularly to the Adem Crosby Centre for treatment, a long, exhausting journey that came with mounting costs and constant planning. On top of that, there were extra trips to Brisbane for something deeply personal: the creation of a prosthetic nose that would help restore both protection and confidence.
That’s when Mingary Care stepped in, offering practical support to help ease the load. With fuel vouchers covering most of those key trips, Samuel could focus on showing up for his health, not stressing about the significant financial impact of simply getting there.
“It was a blessing,” he said. “I remembered Mingary Care and knew I could reach out.”
Today, Samuel has his prosthetic. He’s able to leave the house with more confidence and get back to the parts of life that matter to him. And he’s holding onto the simple but powerful truth that got him through:
“Don’t give up. There are people who care in times of weakness.”