ROMP – The Rotary Outreach Myeloma Program
“Everyone deserves a long healthy life. When you Serve to Change Lives your actions today can help extend the lives of others.”
*Rotary International President Shekkar Mehta
No patient is to be isolated. A specialist myeloma nurse supports a myeloma patient |
There is always room in the Rotary lexicon for another acronym to add to the dozens of others that flag the world-wide scope of Rotary International Community Service – RYPEN, RYLA, ROMAC, RAWCS… and many, many more. Welcome to “ROMP”- the Rotary Outreach Myeloma Program – an ongoing R100 Rotary project celebrating the Centenary of Rotary in Australasia in 1921.
ROMP is an award winning, multi-club and multi-district community service program. Begun three years ago by the Rotary Club of Camberwell, ROMP supports the work of Myeloma Australia, the only myeloma specific charitable organisation in Australia. The Camberwell Club has been engaged continuously with Myeloma Australia since it began more than two decades ago.
Myeloma? Sometimes called Multiple Myeloma, it is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that is presently suffered by approximately twenty thousand Australians. More than sixty thousand Australians belong to a national “myeloma community” that includes the partners and families of patients.
Despite the best efforts of researchers word-wide there is yet no cure for myeloma.
Average mortality is less than eight years.Two thousand Australians are diagnosed each year. In the words of a Myeloma Australia awareness campaign, “That’s 38 mate!” Thirty-eight new challenged families each week who will need and deserve support and the best outcomes regardless of their address.
There are more than a thousand myeloma patients living in country Victoria. When their partners, families and others close to them are added, that number expands to constitute a regional Victorian myeloma community that is larger than five thousand.
ROMP calls upon Rotary Clubs in regional Victoria to join a regular forum of clubs from across country Victoria to build awareness of the special needs of myeloma patients in their own communities. A core aim is to support the smooth delivery of Myeloma Australia programs and assist in delivering outcomes that are at least equal to those achieved in capital cities.
At the centre of Myeloma Australia’s services is the creation and maintenance of myeloma support groups each led by a highly qualified myeloma nurse. Support Groups are informal gatherings for people living with myeloma, their family and friends. The meetings provide a safe space to meet other members of the myeloma community to share their experiences of living with myeloma, and to learn from various guest speakers from a health management and practical perspective.
A key ROMP vision and aim is to ensure that people who are living with myeloma in country Victoria can enjoy the same access to locally based support groups that is available in Greater Melbourne.
A ROMP vision statement says it well - “No regional myeloma patient is to live more than one hour from a myeloma support group.”
The ROMP initiative does not seek Rotary funds. ROMP is a hands-on program. Its modest funding needs are met by the Rotary Club of Camberwell. Clubs are free to directly support the work of Myeloma Australia and its community fund-raisers from time to time as they might decide similarly for any other charitable cause. ROMP will assist in promoting those Myeloma Australia opportunities.
ROMP is not a “one size fits all program”. There are few specific requirements and clubs are free to decide their level of engagement and activities. We seek two or three clubs from each of the nine Victorian country regions as leaders in their own communities to attend the ROMP bi-monthly ZOOM forums. and to “spread the word” to their fellow Rotary clubs.
ROMP committee members are always available to present the ROMP program to Rotary clubs in person or via ZOOM. Rotary clubs are front and centre in their communities. We want “everyone” – Shire, Councillors, Cancer Centres to know that Rotary is engaged for the benefit of their community.
We want club representatives to be friends with Myeloma Australia staff members and willing to respond to requests for modest support in their region from time to time - perhaps a meeting room for a new support group or internet resources for an existing local myeloma support group for example – or transport for a patient etc.
We want cancer centres to know that Rotary is engaged with Myeloma Australia and keen to support their work with local myeloma patients.
While fulfilment of the traditional Myeloma Australia vision of
“A world without myeloma” seems a long way into the future the ROMP vision is well within our sight.
“No myeloma patient is to live more than one hour from a myeloma support group.”
More information: Web - www.ROMP100.org Email – mailto:atholwood1943@gmail.comExtract from a *recent letter to all Rotarians
from Rotary International President Shekkar Mehta
“My Dear Change Makers,
December is Disease Prevention and Treatment Month in Rotary.
The pandemic unfortunately has schooled most people on the toll that disease takes on our communities. But fighting disease is something that Rotarians around the world have been doing for decades.
In fact, it is one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus
This month, think about how your club can focus on preventing and fighting disease. This is the time to take a bigger, better, bolder approach through both club and district projects that can impact more people.
Re-evaluate where you are with your goals. Create strategies that can sustain change over years, not months.
Everyone deserves a long healthy life. When you Serve to Change Lives your actions today can help extend the lives of others.”
*The full article can be accessed at this link -https://6330passport.org/stories/rotary-s-december-focus-is-disease-prevention-and-treatment
Patrick Docherty
Thank you all for your responses at our recent meeting.