“It's great to be able to give something back”: clinical trial patient Chris helping others like him

“He said, ‘I’ll supply the truck and the fuel and you raise the money’,” says Chris Fieldus of the conversation he had with friend Peter Vardenega about taking part in the 2024 Cruisin’ Along Car Rally.

Founded in 2009 by former Orange Mayor, the late John Davis, the Cruisin’ Along rally has raised more than a million dollars for local charities over the last 16 years. Run under the auspices of the Rotary Club of Orange Daybreak, money raised on the tag-a-long car tours as they travel to various parts of the country has been instrumental in the establishment of the Cancer Care Western NSW Cancer Care Lodge and continues to fund vital clinical trials here in Orange.

Chris and Peter were joined by sons Jake Fieldus and Cameron Vardanega on the ten-day 2024 Cruisin’ Along rally, which returned to Orange from a loop to the Grampians and back on May 4.

On Friday, Chris and his team joined Rotarians at Orange Hospital where they gladly handed over more than $50,000 raised on this year’s rally to the Orange Clinical Trials Unit.

“I think about $25,700 our car has made around the whole trek,” Chris said at the hospital on Friday.

“I've got three mates here, they come on board with me just to get on and be able to raise money, but it's the local businesses that actually donated to us… It cost us to do the trek but it was the local businesses, as you can see with the stickers on our truck, they've come on board and donated and been just so generous.”

For Chris, this fundraising trip has had particular meaning as he has been living with cancer for the past 18 years and participated in multiple clinical trials himself.

“I was diagnosed with kidney cancer when I was 40 and I'm 58 this year… they removed a kidney, I’ve had two major surgeries. Then became a clinical trial patient when I was 50, and here we are — living proof that it actually works,” Chris said. “Being a clinical trial patient it's great to be able to give something back.”

Dr Rob Zielinski, Director of the Orange Clinical Trials Unit, said they are extremely grateful for the community support of the work they are doing. He said every $10,000 raised means another patient has the opportunity to be part of a trial that could save their life and lead to better treatment for other cancer sufferers.

“The trial workforce, we do it for lots of reasons – passion and looking after patients – but it's so powerful to have the community and patients like Chris raising money for us,” Dr Zielinski said.

“It gives us that extra kick to really work harder and do more and it's lovely knowing, we've got this massive support behind us.”

In the decade since trials started in Orange, more than 300 patients have taken part. Dr Zielinski said most trials have been drug therapy, but others have looked at radiation treatment plans,  medical cannabis and appetite-increasing drugs as well. Currently, he said, there are 50 patients participating in 15 active trials.

“Year on year it's just increasing,” he said. “Patients, mostly, love being part of that frontier of medicine I have to say and they love knowing that they're tapping into potentially the next generation drugs early…  I kind of find that really exciting personally as a doctor as well.

“We are changing practice for the benefit of not just Australian patients, but global patients.” 

While Chris has seen a benefit from the experimental treatment he received in the trial — he is still undergoing regular treatment for his cancer.

“You’ve just got to move on,” Chris said when asked how he’s coped with the ups and downs over the past 18 years. “Move on and live life to its fullest and enjoy what you have. That's how I get through it.”

“I tell you what,” added Dr Zielinski. “I’ve learned a lot from my patients about that for my own philosophy of life as well and that's how I try and adapt my life, to living for the day as much as we can.

“Because these guys, their world gets turned upside down within moments of the scan or a blood test showing them things have changed. So I learn a lot from these guys as well.”