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Resource Library

Resources for any situation

Practical guidance for people needing help in complex situations and for those wanting to support them well.

Hints and Tips

Elderly women embracing a hug

Why accepting help can feel so hard as we get older

Many people assume an older parent who refuses help is simply being stubborn. Bu...

Elderly Couple Drinking tea

Don’t wait for burnout to build your support crew

Supporting an ageing parent or partner rarely begins with one big moment. More ...

Understanding the Hidden Impact of Cancer

When people think about cancer, they often think about treatment. They think about ch...

Why Cancer Fatigue Is Often Misunderstood

One of the most frustrating experiences many patients describe is feeling completely ...

The Well Meaning Things That Often Hurt the Most

Most people don’t set out to say something hurtful to a person affected by cancer. In...

Coordinating Help Without Creating More Work

Most people want to help when someone they care about is diagnosed with cancer. The c...

When Cancer Changes the Whole Family

Cancer rarely affects just one person. A diagnosis can reshape routines, respon...

Supporting Someone Who Lives Alone

Many people facing cancer return home at the end of the day to a partner, family memb...

How to show up for someone’s who’s grieving.

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt through my own experience of grieving my darling mum...

Don’t let awkwardness keep you away

When someone we know is grieving, it can be hard to know what to say. We might feel a...

Don’t forget the siblings

When a child is sick, the family’s whole world reorganises around tha...

How to support a family when a child is sick

When a child is very sick, every parent is living their worst fear. And if ...

When serious illness is invisible

Some illnesses announce themselves with physical symptoms that you can clearly s...

I don’t know enough about their condition and I’m afraid to ask

If someone in your crew has been diagnosed with a serious illness and you’ve go...

Your needs will change – A rough guide to what you might need, and when.

In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, the needs are obvious. Somewhere to sleep. ...

Articles

“The family will manage” is not an aged care plan.

No government policy says the family will manage. But every major review of aged care...

January 10, 2026

She was just 15 when she died

“Be the person that can just sit with her and handle all of her emotions. Be th...

February 13, 2025

We call them hidden angels

When times get tough, they are the people that just keep turning up. Here’s to ...

How Gather My Crew began

As a psychologist working with cancer patients, I would often talk to families about ...

January 20, 2024

The essential role played by friends and family

A cancer survivor once told me that she felt there was no point in being alive becaus...

December 12, 2021

#1 reason why Gather My Crew is better than a Whatsapp group

Most people needing help don’t know exactly what help they need AND those offering th...

Downloadable Resources

How to tell people what you want

This practical guide shares simple conversation prompts that help you communicate you...

How to find out what someone wants

When someone you care about is going through a tough time, it can be hard to know wha...

Words to say when you don’t know what to say

Finding the “perfect” words to comfort someone going through a hard time ...

How to offer help

We often tell friends in need to “let me know how I can help,” but vague ...

Small things that often help poster

When life feels overwhelming, it can be difficult to identify exactly what kind of su...

Real User Stories

Tracy’s Story: Living With Cancer Is Not the Same as Dying From It

When Tracy’s breast cancer spread to her bones in December 2022, the diagnosis ...

Kate’s Story: When Everyone Thinks It’s Over

When Kate was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, her son was just 11 years old. Li...

Victor’s Story: Helping People See the Person Not Just the Patient

Victor still remembers how quickly everything changed. On the Sunday before his...

Anna’s Story: The Help You Need Isn’t Always the Help You Expect

When Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, she faced a long and demanding tr...

Lauren’s Story: Learning to Let People Help

Lauren was just 31 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then, she has und...

Pen’s Story: Taking Care of the People Who Are Taking Care of Everyone Else

Pen has known Emma for most of Emma’s life. They first met through Girl Guides ...

January 28, 2026

Frank’s story

Frank was a much loved member of the dog park community. You get to know people reall...

January 23, 2026

Josh’s story

His wife had some mental health issues that meant her ability to care for their child...

January 10, 2026

A story about asking for help

She went to bed feeling completely overwhelmed and woke to find every task she liste...

January 2, 2026

Kayla’s story

Kayla’s biggest concern was finding ways to keep the boys lives as ‘norma...

September 20, 2025

Lisa’s Story

Over the past 5 years, Lisa has been the main carer for her ageing parents who live i...

Angelo’s story

“I can’t tell you how much easier it is to cope with things when you know...

Debbie’s Story

The sudden passing of my husband in August last year came as an awful shock to me and...

February 17, 2024

Jacinta’s Story

Our daughter Audrey is 7 yrs old. She is such a beautiful and precious girl, who has ...

February 17, 2024

Monica’s Story

Recently, I lost my brother, Joseph, to prostate cancer. Over the last months of his ...