Zoe Moffatt
At the end of the week people from around the country will fold a 55 centimetre by 55 centimetre piece of fabric to wear as a bandana.
It’s a tradition that started 29 years ago to raise vital money for not-for-profit organisation Canteen to support young people aged 12 to 25 years old who are impacted by cancer.
For Sunbury resident and Bandana Day ambassador Jupiter Moody McIntyre, it’s a cause close to their heart after their dad died from terminal brain cancer in December 2018.
“When I was 17, just before I was going to start year 12, my dad was diagnosed with… an aggressive and terminal form of brain cancer,” Jupiter said.
“Originally I dropped out of school so I could stay home full time and care for him, and eventually I went back part time for a little bit. But it threw my whole year 12 into the air.
“I lost pretty much all of my friends purely because I wasn’t able to keep up with the social commitments and see them as often.”
During this time Jupiter said it was very hard to adjust to having a dad who was sick, and the move to a carer’s role.
“It was very hard because of where the tumour and cancer was located… a lot of things shifted in him really quickly. His whole personality kind of changed.
“One of the things that shocked me the most was… his tone of voice changed. There were very few moments during the year [when] it sounded like my dad who raised me.
“It was a really long and a really hard year for all of us… we were just so emotionally and physically exhausted.”
After Jupiter’s dad died, they finished year 12 the following year and went on to complete a Bachelor of Environment and Society.
Jupiter reached out to Canteen for support, and attended a camp for young people impacted by grief and loss in 2019.
Through Canteen’s ’CanQueer’ program Jupiter was able to explore a world of acceptance and discovered their identity was non-binary.
“Obviously it’s something I’d been my whole life, but it’s never something I had the language or the knowledge of myself to do,” Jupiter said.
“I remember when dad was sick and the year after… these thoughts started popping up and I was just kind of pushing them down because I was dealing with so much.
“Canteen has been really great, it was actually partly due to a Canteen event that I even started to address it.
“I remember being in that environment [and] being really comfortable and happy there [which] gave me that confidence to explore and do my own research and think about myself in that way.
“The [CanQueer program] is truly one of my favourite things. I’ve been to every single one since it started, which is a very big thing I’m proud about in that space.”
This Bandana Day you can show your support through donating, cutting, colouring or covering your hair with a Canteen bandana.
Details: www.bandannaday.org.au/
