THE city has wrapped its arms around a terminally ill woman and lent a collective hand to fulfill her dream of seeing her family’s alfresco area completed. While many people living out their final days dream of travelling the world, Ballarat North mother of two Belinda Scott says her dream was right here at home. In 2014, Ms Scott was diagnosed with stage-four bowel and liver cancer. Earlier this year, she was given just months to live. “I wanted to finish off the house for my kids so I could spend time with them there,” Ms Scott said. “For me, it was about getting everything done at home for my husband and my boys.”
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Ms Scott’s diagnosis sparked a community-wide campaign with a fundraiser held this year raising more than $25,000. Across the city people dug deep for Ms Scott and her husband Ben. An online appeal raised almost $4000 and the family were inundated with support from local businesses supplying the materials to tradesmen volunteering for construction works. The family had their first barbecue on the deck on Saturday night. From now on, nights will be spent watching the sun go down and star gazing as Ms Scott sits cuddling her boys Archie,5, and Harvey,8.
”I just feel so loved,” Ms Scott said. “I could never have imagined there would be so many people willing to help in different ways. We are so unbelievably thankful there are so many people out there willing to help.” The family will install a plaque on the deck and engrave it with the names of all the people and businesses who made the renovation possible.
Ms Scott has not given up her fight to live. She is undergoing her last round of a new type of intensive immunotherapy which costs more than $7000 a cycle.
“I can feel body my body getting weaker... but I only have to look at my boys and know I’m not ready to give up,” Ms Scott said. "I just pick milestones for the boys and I just keep striving towards those goals. In a few weeks Archie will turn six so that’s my next goal.”
“We’re not promised this treatment is going to work so I’ll have a scan to see if it has worked after the next cycle but after that there isn’t much more we can do.”
The soaring medical costs have meant Mr Scott has been forced to go back to work interstate after taking months of unpaid leave to care for his wife and children.
But Ms Scott said a day does not pass without dinner being dropped on the family’s doorstep.
Her eldest son Harvey has also taken on the role of tending to his mum in his dad’s absence.
“Harvey is always helping in anyway he can,” Ms Scott said. “Some days I can’t get out of bed so he will do whatever he can to help me and look after his little brother. I think they both understand what is happening but Harvey has taken on the role of the man on the house. He is so wise beyond his years.”
Ms Scott said the family would like give special thanks to GJ Gardner Homes in Ballarat who donated all the materials for the second stage of the outdoor renovations and helped finished off the alfresco area.
The area includes an barbecue, woodfire pizza oven and the finishing touches being put on an outdoor room.
“We were strangers to so many of the people who have helped,” Ms Scott. “The Ballarat community has been so amazing and we can’t say thank-you enough.”
Ms Scott has given The Courier a full list of individual businesses across Ballarat who she would like to personally thank which can be viewed alongside the online version of this story at thecourier.com.au. Anyone wishing to donate to the family can visit belindasappeal.com
If you would like to help the Scott family, email: belinda.vaughan@bigpond.com or bandb.scott@bigpond.com
Ms Scott would like to give special thanks to:
Ballarat Outdoor Solutions
G and J Gardener Homes
Bartlett Blinds
Plumbtech
Driscoll Joinery in Ballarat
Bartlett Blinds
Shane Edwards Plumbing
Evoke Building Group
Velux Skylights
Lawrence & Hanson, Electrical Wholesaler Australia
BL Rix Electrical
Tony McCarty Solid Plasterers
Navarre Football and Netball Club
