WHEN the Dansick family were told their 12-year-old sport-loving daughter Ainsley was diagnosed with cancer they couldn’t believe it.
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“It was such a shock, she was fit, she was sporty,” Ainsley’s mother Anne said.
“It goes to show it (cancer) can affect anyone.”
While many of Ainsley’s friends were out enjoying their childhood, Ainsley spent majority of her time in and out of hospital.
But then she met Dr George Kannourakis.
According to Ms Dansick, Dr Kannourakis became more than just Ainsley’s doctor, he became a friend, an inspiration.
“Ainsley was diagnosed with caner at 12, she had a couple of sessions in remission, then it came back and she died at 20,” the Geelong mother said.
“During that time she got into fundraising for research, it really kept her going.
“The treatment she was having wasn’t pleasant and she didn’t want that to continue. She saw there was a huge scope with technology to change that.”
SEE ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE 2016 BALLARAT CYCLE CLASSIC HERE.
Ever since her family has continued to carry on Ainsley’s dream of funding research to help improve the lives of others like her, bringing with them more than 30 people from Geelong to participate in the Cycle Classic each year.
“That’s why we’re here,” Ms Dansick said.
“We’ve been participating in Ballarat Cycle Classic for five years and we’re proud of that because we’re making people aware of the research.
“And we will keep on going as long as the institute does.”