Advocacy

Profile

Graham Lewis has contributed to a range of health advocacy, consumer engagement, lived-experience and system-improvement initiatives, with a particular focus on blood cancer, allogeneic stem cell transplantation, cellular therapies, chronic graft-versus-host disease, survivorship, rehabilitation and patient-centred models of care.

Selected Advocacy Assignments and Contributions

Arrow Foundation

‘Paint the Town Red Fundraiser’

Contributed to Arrow’s patient-support programs through fundraising and public advocacy, helping raise awareness of the practical, financial and emotional challenges faced by stem cell transplant patients and their families. Read Arrow Foundation article

Leukaemia Foundation

Consumer Advocacy, Education and Lived-Experience Contribution

Contributed to a range of Leukaemia Foundation initiatives, including lived-experience education, consumer representation and national advocacy work.

Assignments and contributions include:

• Bloody Cells Ball, Parramatta Stadium, Sydney — shared lived experience to support fundraising for the Westmead Hospital Centre for Blood Transplant and Cell Therapy.
• First Person Program — presented to Leukaemia Foundation team members on the lived experience of blood cancer and stem cell transplantation.
• National Strategic Blood Cancer Action Plan — consumer representative on the Optimal Care Plan working group. Read Leukaemia Foundation Story
• Optimal Care Plan launch — contributed a case study to support national communication and launch activities.
• Fatigue Management Webinar Series — co-designer and presenter for a series focused on fatigue following stem cell transplantation.
• National Consumer Reference Group — contributed to policy, strategy and advocacy discussions.
• Talking Blood Cancer podcast — shared reflections on curiosity, mindset, communication and resilience through the blood cancer journey. Listen to Talking Blood Cancer podcast

Cancer Voices SA

Executive Committee Member and Cellular Therapies Advocacy

Contributed as an Executive Committee member, with a focus on consumer advocacy, cancer-system accountability, stem cell transplantation, survivorship and the emerging role of cellular therapies.

Survivor as Teacher’ program

Presented lived-experience seminars to third-year medical students as part of their preparation for first hospital clinical placement, contributing to student understanding of cancer survivorship, stem cell transplantation, disability, communication and the patient experience of complex care.

Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health (CEIH) – CALHN

Minimising the burden of stem cell transplant through PRMs project team

Contributed lived-experience and consumer insight to the project team focused on minimising the burden of stem cell transplantation through patient-reported measures and improved understanding of the post-transplant experience. 180 stem cell transplant survivors were invited to participate in the survey.

The Hospital Research Foundation (THRF)

Cancer Survivor representative

Contributed as a cancer survivor to support the announcement of THRF funding of a research project into faecal transplantation as Graft vs Host Disease prevention. Watch the THRF video

Monash University and McGrath Foundation

Comprehensive Cancer Nurse Self-Assessment Tool (CaN-SAT) Development

Consumer representative on a national expert working group developing a haematology-specific extension to the Cancer Nurse Self-Assessment Tool. The work supports improved nursing capability, self-assessment and care quality in cancer and haematology settings.

Mallinckrodt Pharmaceutical (MNK)

Overcoming Barriers to cGVHD Care Consumer subject in a national chronic graft-versus-host disease awareness campaign, contributing lived experience to improve understanding of barriers to timely, effective and coordinated cGVHD care. Watch cGVHD awareness campaign

South Australian Parliamentary Select Committee on Health Services in SA

Written and Verbal Evidence – October 2021

Appeared to provide verbal and written testimony on experience as a consumer of the Central Adelaide (CALHN) Stem Cell Transplant Service. Read the testimony 

University of Wollongong

National Allo-HSCT Survivorship Research Project

Co-investigator and consumer advocate on a national research project examining Australian allo-HSCT
survivors’ preferences for long-term follow-up models of care. The project seeks to inform more
responsive, sustainable and patient-centred survivorship care. My role brings lived experience of allo-
HSCT, chronic GVHD, rehabilitation and service navigation into study design, survivor materials,
interpretation and dissemination.