Jane McGrath#McGrath Foundation
{{Short description|British-Australian cancer support campaigner (1966–2008)}}
{{About |the Australian cancer support campaigner|the Irish actress |Jane McGrath (actress)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Jane McGrath
|image = Jane McGrath.jpg
|caption =
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1966|05|04}}
|birth_place = Paignton, Devon, England
|birth_name = Jane Louise Steele
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2008|06|22|1966|05|04}}
|death_place = Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia
|death_cause = Breast cancer
|nationality = English Australian
|other_names =
|known_for = Cancer support campaigner/activist
|spouse = {{Marriage|Glenn McGrath|1999}}
|parents = Roy Steele (father)
Jen Steele (mother)
|children = 2
}}
Jane Louise McGrath {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (née Steele; 4 May 1966 – 22 June 2008) was an English-Australian cancer support campaigner, and the wife of former Australian cricket fast bowler Glenn McGrath.
Background
Jane Louise Steele was born on 4 May 1966 to Jen and Roy Steele, a newsagent (since retired) in Paignton in the English county of Devon.{{cite news|url=http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/news/Fantastic-daughter-fighter/article-609095-detail/article.html|title=Fantastic daughter who was such a fighter|date=2009-01-13|work=thisissouthdevon.co.uk|accessdate=2009-10-12}} She worked as a flight attendant for Virgin Atlantic when she met her future husband in a Hong Kong nightclub in 1995.{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23906472-662,00.html31|title=Jane McGrath personified courage and grace|last=Royall|first=Ian|date=2008-06-23|work=Herald Sun|accessdate=2008-06-25}} They married in 1999 at the Garrison Church{{cite news|last1=Ramachandran|first1=Arjun|title=Wedding to funeral: Glenn's grim day at the Garrison|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/wedding-to-funeral-glenns-grim-day-at-the-garrison/2008/06/24/1214073228778.html|accessdate=11 August 2014|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=25 June 2008}} and had two children. She became an Australian citizen on Australia Day, 26 January 2002. McGrath was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) on 26 January 2008 for service to community health through support for women with breast cancer and the establishment of the McGrath Foundation.
Cancer
McGrath first learned she had breast cancer in 1997 at the age of 31. Following a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she was deemed cancer-free by June 1998. Despite fears that cancer treatment may have left her sterile, she later gave birth to two children who were both breast-fed. In 2003, McGrath was diagnosed with metastatic disease in her bones. In 2004, she appeared with her husband on Andrew Denton's Enough Rope on the ABC, describing her work for the foundation and her personal experiences.
In early 2006, brain metastasis was found and by May, she was undergoing radiation treatment at three-week intervals. The tumour was found and successfully removed. At the time, she lost her hair and became depressed, but again went into remission and continued her work with the foundation.{{cite news |first=Malcolm |last=Brown |authorlink= Malcolm Brown (Australian journalist) |author2=Jonathan Pearlman |author3=Jamie Pandaram
|title=Finally Jane loses long fight for life|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/finally-jane-loses-long-fight-for-life-20080622-2uzk.html?page=-1 |work=The Age |date=2008-06-22 |accessdate=2008-06-23 }} She became severely ill in mid-June 2008 and died on the morning of 22 June at her Cronulla home; she was 42. McGrath's funeral was held at the Garrison Church.
McGrath Foundation
{{Main|McGrath Foundation}}
In 2005, Glenn and Jane McGrath founded the McGrath Foundation, a charitable organisation dedicated to raising money to fund breast care nurses in rural and regional Australia, and to increase breast awareness in young women. As of May 2022, 177 McGrath breast care nurses have been placed in communities throughout Australia, supporting over 67,000 Australian families experiencing breast cancer.
The third day of the first Sydney Test cricket match at the Sydney Cricket Ground each year is now known as Jane McGrath Day, where money is raised for the McGrath Foundation. Spectators at the SCG wear pink to show their support, and sponsor logos in various places are also recoloured pink for the match. The Ladies Stand is also temporarily renamed The Jane McGrath Stand for the day.{{cite news|last=Budd|first=Henry|title=Cricket fans urged to wear pink for the McGrath Foundation|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/cricket-fans-urged-to-wear-pink-for-the-mcgrath-foundation/story-e6freuy9-1226236889298|accessdate=5 January 2012|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|date=5 January 2012}}
On 5 January 2013, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced an $18.5 million donation to the McGrath Foundation from the Australian Government. The funding allowed all 44 existing McGrath breast care nurse positions to continue and expand the program by 10 full-time equivalent places.
References
;Specific
{{reflist}}
;General
- {{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23904570-421,00.html?from=public_rss |title=A timeline of the Jane and Glenn McGrath's life together |date=2008-06-22 |work=news.com.au |accessdate=2008-06-23 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626190038/http://www.news.com.au/story/0%2C23599%2C23904570-421%2C00.html?from=public_rss |archivedate=June 26, 2008 }}
- {{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s1115161.htm|title=Glenn and Jane McGrath|date=2004-05-24|work=Enough Rope with Andrew Denton|publisher=ABC Television|accessdate=2008-06-23}}
- {{cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1137500|title=It's An Honour - Jane Louise McGrath|date=2008-01-26|publisher=Australian Government|accessdate=2008-06-23}}
External links
- [http://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/ The McGrath Foundation]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGrath, Jane}}
Category:English emigrants to Australia
Category:Deaths from cancer in New South Wales
Category:Deaths from breast cancer in Australia
Category:Naturalised citizens of Australia
Category:Members of the Order of Australia