Country for PR: United States
Contributor: PR Newswire New York
Monday, November 30 2020 - 08:15
AsiaNet
Varian Partners with Sony Foundation Australia in the You Can Stay Program
PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/--

Varian (NYSE: VAR) today announced it has entered a partnership with Sony 
Foundation Australia to support its You Can Stay Program. The You Can Stay 
program provides free accommodations for cancer patients aged between 15 to 25 
and their families in Australia who have to travel to major cities for 
life-saving, cancer treatment that is not available closer to home.

Sophie Ryan, CEO of Sony Foundation Australia said: "Youth cancer patients in 
rural areas will most likely need to travel to cities for treatment. This can 
pose many issues including additional financial burdens from out-of-pocket 
expenses, unmanageable travel times, and emotional distress if there is a need 
to be apart from loved ones whilst undergoing treatment. As such, we are 
excited that Varian has come on-board as a Gold Partner to fund 250 nights of 
home away from home accommodations to support youth cancer patients and their 
families in Australia."

The You Can Stay initiative was launched at the end of October 2020 in response 
to the disproportionate burden youth cancer patients face in rural areas. Ms. 
Ryan continued: "Adolescents are commonly diagnosed with rare and complex 
cancers such as bone, blood, and brain cancer requiring specialist treatment in 
major city hospitals. For example, a patient may need radiation therapy on a 
daily basis spanning several weeks or longer. This puts immense stress on the 
daily lives of all members of family. Parents often give up their jobs to stay 
with their child in the city during treatment and may have to relocate to the 
city for months at a time to complete treatment. Therefore, programs such Sony 
Foundation's You Can Stay provide a lifeline for patients and their families."

Rebecca Cortiula, Senior Managing Director Australasia, Varian Medical Systems 
said: "We are delighted to be able to support the Sony Foundation's You Can 
Stay initiative. Access to treatment is a real struggle in Australia where 
roughly one-third of young people affected by cancer live in rural areas. 
Currently, there are limited options for free or subsidized accommodations for 
patients and their families to stay. This is an important program to help 
alleviate additional anxieties so patients and their families can focus on what 
matters. This is a step forward towards our vision of living in a world without 
fear of cancer."

For more information about Sony Foundation's You Can Stay program or to make a 
referral, please visit: www.sonyfoundation.org.au/youcanstay 

About Varian
At Varian, we envision a world without fear of cancer. For more than 70 years, 
we have developed, built and delivered innovative cancer care technologies and 
solutions for our clinical partners around the globe to help them treat 
millions of patients each year. With an Intelligent Cancer Care approach, we 
are harnessing advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, machine 
learning and data analytics to enhance cancer treatment and expand access to 
care. Our 10,000 employees across 70 locations keep the patient and our 
clinical partners at the center of our thinking as we power new victories in 
cancer care. Because, for cancer patients everywhere, their fight is our fight. 
For more information, visit: http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on 
Twitter.

Press Contact
Christine Hogseth-Gill
Head of Public Affairs, Asia Pacific and Japan
+65-93881352 
christine.hogseth-gill@varian.com

Investor Relations Contact
Anshul Maheshwari
Vice President, Investor Relations
+1-(650)-424-5631 
investors@varian.com
 
SOURCE: Varian