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Trudy Crowley Sanctuary
A future filled with dignity, comfort and compassionate care.
At the Trudy Crowley Foundation, we believe that everyone with cancer deserves a choice in how and where they spend their final days. But right now, that choice doesn’t exist for many people in our region.
Our mission
With the support of our amazing community, we are going to establish the Trudy Crowley Sanctuary – a peaceful, purpose-built residence providing specialist palliative care for people with cancer in the Mackay and Greater Whitsundays region. This will be a place where oncology patients of all ages can receive care tailored to their unique needs – in a home-like environment, surrounded by kindness, comfort and compassion.
Why it’s needed
Currently, public hospital stays for palliative care are limited to just 23 to 28 days. After that, patients are discharged – often to go home, even if their family can’t provide full-time care, or to aged care facilities that may not have palliative-trained staff or the clinical support required to manage cancer symptoms. This is not good enough.
People facing the end of life need more than a bed. They need expert care, dignity, family connection, and the chance to feel at peace. This is where the Trudy Crowley Sanctuary comes in.
The plan
We are working towards a residence that offers:
Eight private bedrooms, including one designed for children, all with balconies, comfortable beds and space for loved ones to lie beside each other.
A cold cot to support families facing infant or baby loss.
Onsite palliative-trained doctors and nurses, delivering skilled and compassionate care.
A multi-faith chapel, designed to support spiritual needs and cultural rites.
A comforting resident cat and dog, for moments of quiet companionship.
A community kitchen and shared spaces to feel more at home.
Accommodation for visiting family, ensuring no one has to say goodbye from afar.
Beautiful gardens, water features and peaceful outdoor areas, offering calm and connection to nature.
A place of choice, made with love
The Trudy Crowley Sanctuary will not be a hospital. It won’t be an institution. It will be a place of choice – where people with cancer, no matter their age or background, can feel safe, supported and surrounded by care when it matters most.
We’re working hard to make this vision a reality, in partnership with health professionals, donors and our community. If you’d like to support the future of the Trudy Crowley Sanctuary – or be part of our journey – we’d love to hear from you. Let’s create a space where no one has to face the end alone.
