Aunt inspiration for gift of bandanas

CHRISTMAS GIFT: Olivia Marshall donates 40 bandanas to Andrew Love Cancer Centre.

Leopold teenager Olivia Marshall has donated a much-needed Christmas present to local cancer patients, to honour an aunt who died from the disease in 2016.

The Sacred Heart College student donated about 40 bandanas to Andrew Love Cancer Centre.

“When people have chemotherapy, especially women, they can lose their hair. This is what happened to my Auntie Linda,” the 16-year-old said.

“Having a nice bandana made all the difference.

“I thought (she) would love the idea of a small gift consisting of a bandana to be given to those women at their first chemotherapy appointment.

“(She) was always giving people presents.”

Olivia made the bandanas for a school project to raise cancer awareness, while providing to support to those in need.

“I got together with my friends to make the bandanas,” she said.

“It’s a small way of saying that we care about you and hopefully make people feel a little better with these bright lovely bandanas.“

Terry Marshall was proud of his daughter’s gesture in honour of his sister.

“It’s lovely to think that your 16-year-old daughter is so thoughtful towards women who are going through what her auntie Linda went through,“ he said.

“(The bandanas are almost gone already – so Liv’s having another production run this week.“

Staff at Andrew Love Cancer Centre were thrilled to give the bandanas to give to their patients, a Barwon Health spokesperson said.