Russell Matheson (Macarthur, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I had the pleasure of attending Blairmount Public School in my electorate of Macarthur to watch a Camp Quality puppet show. Camp Quality is a wonderful organisation that focuses on creating a better life for children affected by cancer. The Camp Quality Primary School Education Program is a touring puppet show that helps educate students to look at the illness in a different light. It takes cancer out of its normal context and brings it into a world of imaginary characters who are honest, courageous and funny. Camp Quality does a fantastic job of using puppets as a way of building trust and engaging children. The puppets help explain cancer, dispel myths and enable children to learn the value of being a supportive friend.

At the Camp Quality puppet show I had the privilege of meeting a beautiful young lady, Tanesha Lovas, who is a brave and inspiring 10-year-old girl overcoming cancer. It was fantastic seeing the show bring a smile to Tanesha's face and to hear her laugh. I will never forgot how moving it was to see this little girl being so positive and tenacious in the face of such adversity. For me, this is the magic of the show as it lets other children learn how to create a supportive school environment for Tanesha and many other students in a similar position across Australia.

At the conclusion of the show I spoke to Tanesha's parents, Steve and Judy, who were kind enough to give a firsthand account of the impact that childhood cancer has on a family. The fact that the Camp Quality puppet show made a little girl happy and helps her friends support her is truly a remarkable thing. I congratulate Camp Quality on the wonderful work that they are doing right across Australia.