Life-saving message

Jodi Lee Foundation
Passionate, Innovative, Empathetic

Widowed dad Nick Lee has devoted 10 years of his life to educating the people of South Australia about the early detection and prevention of bowel cancer.

He does this through the Jodi Lee Foundation, which he set up in memory of his wife, Jodi, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer when she was aged 39. He has personally raised over $700,000 for bowel cancer.

Nick focuses his education efforts on corporates. He tells his story to motivate younger people to find out their family history of bowel cancer and encourage people older than 50 to use the test that the Department of Health sends in the mail.

Most people ignore the test, but the vast majority of bowel cancer cases can be successfully treated if detected early.

“I know first-hand the impact that bowel cancer can have on family and friends, having lost my wife to bowel cancer,” says Nick. “My main motivation when I established the foundation was to try to save lives and prevent suffering.”

Nick says it is rewarding to be nominated as a Westfield Local Hero. “We know we can save lives through our initiatives and improve the health and wellbeing of the people we reach in the community.”

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. Jodi Lee Foundation will use its grant to run an education program in Marion and offer free screening kits to people aged 45 to 49.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here