Dorothy lived a life shaped by resilience, independence and a deep belief in community.
She valued knowledge, generosity and compassion - and believed every child deserves the chance to grow up and grow old. Although she had no children of her own, the illness and loss of a neighbour’s infant profoundly affected her and helped shape her determination to support children facing serious medical challenges.In honour of this belief, Dorothy made an extraordinary decision to leave the bulk of her estate - a gift of over $1 million - to Children’s Cancer Institute. This transformational gift will have a lasting impact on research dedicated to curing childhood cancer.
Dorothy’s gift strengthens our mission to cure every child of cancer by entrusting the Institute to invest her legacy where it is needed most, enabling our scientists to pursue innovative, translational research that accelerates discoveries from the laboratory to the clinic and helps develop safer, more effective treatments with fewer side effects.
While survival rates have improved, childhood cancer remains the leading cause of disease-related death in Australian children. Three children still lose their lives every week. Gifts like Dorothy’s ensure that research does not slow, and that scientists can continue pushing toward the day when that number is zero.
Dorothy lived simply and gave deeply. Her generosity now lives on in the work of researchers striving to change outcomes for children with cancer. Her legacy is more than a donation - it is an enduring investment in hope, progress and a future where every child has the chance to grow up and grow old.
