21 December 2022
Heroing the helpers behind our cricketers. Part 4
Australian cricket owes its life to the helpers and volunteers whose passion and experience nurtures and inspires the new, the up-and-coming and the legends. As an ambassador for the McGrath Foundation, Australian national and NSW teams and Sydney Sixers player, Alyssa Healy, has found her inspiration in one of its most ardent supporters and passionate cricket fan, Jessica Keen.
The Keen for Cricket Pink Stumps Day
Jessica Keen is currently going through treatment for breast cancer. Her family are such keen cricketers and are so grateful for the support of her McGrath Breast Care Nurses, they recently decided to host their own Pink Stumps Day. It was a huge success, raising $7,000 and will now hopefully become an annual event. Jessica’s support of the McGrath Foundation made an impact on Alyssa Healy who shares her passion for cricket. She is the daughter of Queensland cricketer, Greg Healy, and niece of Ian Healy, one of Australia’s most famous wicketkeepers, who held the world record for the most Test dismissals.
“As an ambassador for the McGrath Foundation, I applaud fundraisers like the Keen Family. Not only are the Keen Family dealing with their Mum’s breast cancer diagnosis and the ongoing treatment for Jessica Keen, but they are also managed to fundraise for the Foundation by holding their own Pink Stump Day,” Alyssa says. “The $7K the Keen family raised at the Keen For Cricket - Pink Stump Day contributes to funding and placing more McGrath Breast Care Nurses across Australia. I’m passionate about championing this type of heroes, people who share my love of cricket and helping the McGrath Foundation do more great work.”
A story of courage and determination
Jessica Keen is mum to four children, three boys aged 12 to 17 and an 18-year-old daughter. She shares her love for cricket with all of them. The boys play for their school, as well as local clubs and in representative teams. They are all members of the SCG and have attended the Pink Test for many years. Jessica’s breast cancer diagnosis sent shockwaves through the family. She had her first mammogram at 46 on the advice of a friend. It was clear, but her second one in August this year, aged only 48, detected breast cancer. “I called my friend straight away to say, ‘thank you’,” Jessica recalls. “I thank my lucky stars it was caught early.” She is undergoing 16 rounds of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before she has surgery in February 2023, followed by radiation therapy.
Gratitude and giving back
Throughout her cancer experience, Jessica has been supported by the McGrath Breast Care Nurses at the Mater Hospital in North Sydney. “At the Mater they are just wonderful people, and my breast care nurses have been amazing. I don’t know where else I would go with the questions I have,” she says.
Less than three months into her treatment, Jess organised a Keen for Cricket Pink Stumps Day with her family and community.
We are a cricket family and love going to the Pink Test each year and now I know firsthand how important the McGrath Breast Care Nurses are, we just wanted to do our bit to give back,
Jessica explains. “The care from the nurses has been incredible and I really want to see more people have access to this care. I will be anything I can to raise awareness and help fund more nurses.”
A cricket-loving family unite
Jessica and her sons gathered together twenty-four kids to make two teams to play in a pink cricket match. Jessica’s older brother used to play professional cricket so she invited Australian Test great, Stephen O’Keefe, along to the match too. “He was super supportive and brought along some raffle prizes. He bowled the first ball of the second innings to my son. It was his idea to make it an annual event,” Jessica notes.
The family is looking forward now to attending the 15th Pink Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January. “My oncologist says, ‘live your life like normal, and the more normal you are, the better’,” Jessica explains. “Well, we normally go to the Pink Test so we will be there again. And it will be even more special this year for our family.”
The bond of cricket
Alyssa and Jessica share a special bond through their love of cricket and the determination and courage it fosters. Both also understand the importance of giving back. Alyssa’s determination led to her inclusion in Australia's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia. Her courage then made her the second highest runs scorer in the tournament with 236 runs. In September 2020, in the second WT20I match against New Zealand, Alyssa’s reached 92 dismissals to set a new record of most dismissals as a wicketkeeper, male or female, in Twenty20 International cricket. And like Jessica, Alyssa shows her gratitude for the support that nurtured her needs by answering those of the McGrath Foundation.
