In the last 30 years the survival rate for brain cancer has not changed. Each year 1600 people will be diagnosed with brain cancer, and 10 out of every 12 will not survive the first five years.

When Carrie Bickmore recently won the Twinings Design Challenge she used her acceptance speech to raise awareness of brain cancer and its survival rates.

Bickmore said she set up Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer after she discovered how many people were suffering with brain cancer – just like her late husband – and that brain cancer research only received 4% of federal health funding.

We’re so excited to be able to announce that @bickmorecarrie and her charity Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer has won our Morning Tea Design Competition! Pic: @carriesb4bc. For more information, please visit: twinings.com.au #InspireYourMorning #CarriesBeanies4BrainCancer #TwiningsAU

A post shared by Twinings Australia (@twiningsau) on May 11, 2017 at 11:25pm PDT

“In the two years since we set up the foundation we have raised over $1.2 million,” Bickmore said. “And we have just awarded $850 000 of that granting to our research institutes throughout Australia.”

Bickmore said the money is now being placed into the hands of people who will discover effective new treatments that will buy families more time together, and hopefully, more time to find a cure.

“If you were told 30 years ago that you had brain cancer, your survival rate is the same as now – and that’s crazy,” she said.

“If you look at many of the other cancers – through money that has been poured into those cancers – the survival rates are incredible now.”

Carrie Bickmore doesn’t have any downtime. Post continues… 

CONGRATULATIONS to @bickmorecarrie for winning our Morning Tea Design Competition! 10c from each of these beautiful packs sold for the next 4 years will be donated to @carriesb4bc and to help fund vital research into brain cancer over the next 4 years. Thanks to everyone who voted! For more information, please visit: twinings.com.au #InspireYourMorning #CarriesBeanies4BrainCancer #Twinings #TwiningsAu

A post shared by Twinings Australia (@twiningsau) on May 11, 2017 at 9:14pm PDT

“In terms of support, I couldn’t have done the foundation or any of this without the incredible support of my family and friends, my colleagues who give up their time for nothing with my foundation – they do it for free because they want to help,” she added.

Carrie’s award-winning design features a dancer, because she has always loved to dance. During her speech Carrie thanked her mum for supporting her love of dancing while she was growing up.

“As a little girl my mum used to take me to ballet four times a week,”she said. “Even though she had two other kids to look after, dinner to make, and a busy working life herself.”

“I always appreciated the support she gave me, she was an incredible woman.”

The new Twinings Morning Tea design will be stocked on supermarket shelves for the next four years and 10 cents from every pack will be donated to Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer.