Ms Payne, a Kamilaroi woman and Dubbo Aboriginal Cancer Support Group leader, has joined Cancer Council NSW’s push for culturally appropriate palliative care.

The organisation is raising awareness through their petition which calls for the NSW government to fund at least ten additional full-time palliative physicians, 129 more full-time palliative nurses and culturally appropriate specialist palliative care services for Aboriginal people.

After losing a father, mother and sister, Ms Payne said she was well acquainted with palliative care.

“I had cancer. I had a double mastectomy. My sister wouldn’t have a mastectomy and she died from her breast cancer because she didn’t understand palliative care,” she said.

“When they know they’ve got cancer their mind shuts down. They think ‘cancer? I’m going to die’ but people don’t always die of cancer in this day and age.”

It was for that reason Ms Payne said there needed to be more education for the Aboriginal population about palliative care. Ms Payne said she also wanted increased education for hospitals and nursing homes so they knew how to treat Aboriginal patients.

“In hospitals they need to be taught more about Aboriginal culture, and speak the jargon that people understand, not some highfalutin words,” she said.

But most importantly, the Dubbo Aboriginal Cancer Support Group leader said she would like to see more Aboriginal nurses in palliative care. Ms Payne said there were none that she currently knew of around Dubbo.

By increasing the number of Aboriginal specialists in palliative care, Ms Payne said it would encourage more Indigenous people to seek it, and increase their understanding of what it was.

Cancer Council NSW are seeking 10,000 signatures on their petition.

Support the campaign at canact.com.au/palliative_care_pledge.