Today is World Cancer Day and a key theme this year is ‘close the care gap’ which highlights inequities of cancer care exacerbated by COVID.

Cancer Council ACT wants to help close the care gap by focusing on the inequities of cancer care that have continued to occur throughout the COVID pandemic.

This is the reality for Canberra artist Michael Sollis, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in May 2021, shortly before his wife Kiri gave birth to their second child.

“I had surgery, had chemo, and the following day, we welcomed our second son into the world,” he said. “I still had a bag connected to me with the drugs pumping in.”

A few months later when the ACT plunged into lockdown, Mr Sollis and his family were presented with a host of new challenges.

“Suddenly I was part of a community who was affected by COVID-19 in a different way; being immunocompromised meant that there was an inverse relationship between freedoms and the rest of society,” he said.

“Families like ours had to be more cautious and were less able to interact with the outside world, as the threat of death through COVID remained high.

“Without additional support from government, these vulnerable people – including myself – are effectively left behind. Meanwhile, we hear public rhetoric that this is ‘COVID-normal’, and the impact of the virus is almost trivialised.”

In response, Mr Sollis, together with Contour 556 and Arts ACT, is creating a sound work exhibit to be installed temporarily in a public site later in 2022. It will give the community an opportunity to hear about the experiences of those immunocompromised seeking treatment throughout COVID-19.

For the exhibit, he will be talking to families who have experienced what it’s like to be immunocompromised with cancer during the pandemic.

From there, he will connect their stories with the stars that slowly drift further away.

“Just like stars, immunocompromised families drift further apart,” he said. “We need to ensure that families who are isolated can still find a way to remain connected, as the pandemic continues …”

Mr Sollis said a new artistic perspective is needed “to change the national discourse to one that is bold, pragmatic, and compassionate”.

“Sharing the stories of those who can’t do it themselves can play a role in saving the lives of thousands of Australians,” he said.

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