A local specialist advised me that I should go straight to Sydney to have treatment and I was surprised in view of the facilities here in Orange.

Through family connections I was able to go straight to the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Centre at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where a large medical team ruled out surgery and outlined a plan of chemotherapy and radiation treatment to remove this unwanted obstacle.

They also suggested I should have this done at their facility.

When I reported back to my local specialist that I believed the facilities in Orange would be more than capable of conducting this treatment I was again told that it would be best to go to Sydney.

After doing some research of my own I decided that I would have my treatment here at Orange Hospital and having now completed the treatment and being four weeks into recovery I know I made a great decision.

The level of care I received from Professor Graham Stevens and his radiation staff and Dr Rob Zielinski and his oncology department, was beyond what I expected.

On one of the windows in the chemotherapy unit is a small sign which says “we enter as strangers and leave as friends”. Believe me it is no idle boast.

While there are too many to list them all I can tell you that, Mandy, Margaret, Bridget, Rosie, Liz, Jan, Heather and all their teammates went above and beyond for me during my treatment period and I will be forever grateful to them.

We are so lucky to have this level of facility, expertise and commitment right here in our own backyard. My thanks to all of them.

It was also an eye opener to see the number of people going through the various cancer treatments and to see the camaraderie between them.

If you are in a position to support these facilities in any way I would urge you to do so and to err on the side of generosity.

SHAME on Orange City Councils’ decision to close the Orange Rest Centre on reports of “disruptive behaviour in the vicinity of said place”. Vicinity does not mean “in”.

I have used those facilities many times over the years and have always found it a relaxed atmosphere. People reading, having congenial conversations, while enjoying a cuppa.

The clients, I am sure, would not have tolerated anyone trying to be a nuisance, nor would the wonderful ladies who supervised the place and ran the café.

Many of these clients travel to Orange by bus from nearby villages and towns for medical, dental, Centrelink and other appointments.

The least the council should have done was to visit the centre and afford these people a face-to-face, courteous discussion about their daily needs in life.

After all, this centre has been a successful haven to many for over 25 years. Why the sudden impulsive decision to close it now? Could the answer be money, more money for council?

Where will these people go now? Sit out in the cold? Maybe sit on the post office steps?

Shame on you all.