Liz Dawes OAM featured in Concrete Playground’s ‘Women Who Inspire Us’

RCD Foundation Founder and CEO Liz Dawes OAM has been featured by Concrete Playground, sharing the story of Connor, the beginnings of the Foundation and the impact that has grown from one family’s determination to change the odds for kids with brain cancer.

In Women Who Inspire Us, Liz reflects on Connor’s diagnosis with anaplastic ependymoma at 17, the 18 months of treatment that followed, and the experiences that ultimately shaped the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation after Connor passed away in 2013.

The feature also explores the beginnings of Connor’s Run and Liz’s determination from the outset that every dollar raised should have meaningful impact.

Thirteen years later, that determination has helped drive significant progress in paediatric brain cancer research and care. The article highlights initiatives including AIM Brain, which helped bring DNA methylation profiling for childhood brain tumours to Australia, as well as RCD-funded work in personalised mRNA vaccines and health data.

But at the heart of it all remains Connor.

Liz shares with Concrete Playground:

“Being Connor’s mom brought out the very best in me, and what we’ve achieved feels like the clearest manifestation of that.”

The feature comes at a particularly special time, with thousands of people preparing to come together for Connor’s Run in Melbourne on Sunday 13 September. Liz describes the weeks leading into the event as her “Christmas”, and a time that brings out the best in people.

We’re incredibly proud to see Liz and Connor’s story shared, and the extraordinary community that has helped turn one family’s vision into a movement to change the odds for kids with brain cancer.

Read the full feature:
Women Who Inspire Us: Liz Dawes OAM — Concrete Playground