It’s always admirable when someone turns a personal hardship into something that benefits the wider community.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Hunter rugby league identity Mark Hughes (pictured) has done a stellar job in recent years of turning his serious bout with brain cancer into an opportunity to raise money and keep the conversation going about the potentially fatal condition.
With his Mark Hughes Foundation, the former Newcastle Knight – who donned the famous red and blue jumper along side the Johns brothers, Adam “Mad Dog” Macdougall, Robbie O’Davis and Paul “The Chief” Harragon – has used the humble beanie to do a lot of good for brain cancer sufferers and their families.
Hughes was diagnosed with the condition in 2013.
On the MHF website, he describes the diagnosis as “devastating for me and my family, hard to comprehend”.
“I’m incredibly indebted to some really amazing people that have helped me fight my battles so far,” he wrote.
“I’ve accepted that it’s a journey and a path I’ve been given now, and with that an opportunity to turn something negative into something truly positive.
“The Mark Hughes Foundation is a way I can truly repay those who’ve helped me and help others in my position.”
A scan in March, last year, showed he was cancer-free – but his work in the fight against brain cancer has kicked into another gear since then.
Cancer is a condition that touches far too many lives, so any work that can be done to fight the illness – whether it’s brain cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer or any other kind – is a worthy pursuit.
But on top of the important work he is doing, Hughes appears to be a genuinely good bloke. He has never forgotten his Kurri Kurri roots and has made himself available for community events like the Maitland and Cessnock Sportsperson of the Year Awards.
He appears just as grateful for a $400 community donation to his foundation as he does for his mate, Chief, starving himself in the African jungle for the cause on TV.
So it’s little wonder that individuals and groups – like the Old Boars Motorcycle Club whose members are riding to Darwin to raise money – are wasting no time getting behind Hughes in the fight against brain cancer. Visit markhughesfoundation.com.au to donate or for more information about the great work the charity does.