In memory of a close friend, Brimbank psychologist Belinda Sudano will host her fifth annual Essence of Hope gala ball this Saturday.
The fundraising event will be held in honour of her confidante Emma, who died from acute myeloid leukaemia in 2011, aged 25.
Emma, who Belinda met in year 7 at an Essendon school, would have celebrated her 30th birthday in January so the event is about “continuing bonds”, celebrating the role Emma played in Belinda’s life and creating new hope for sufferers of blood cancer and other disorders.
“She was a really sporty, healthy person,” Belinda said. “We were really close; there were things I told her that I wouldn’t tell anybody.
“I haven’t come across too many people I could be so honest and authentic with … we shared everything, but then she got a cold that wouldn’t go away. That was when she found out she had leukaemia.”
Emma’s death has left a positive legacy though. “I’m a bit more conscious about my own health these days,” Belinda said.
She said the previous four balls – her way of dealing with grief and reconnecting with a “rare” friendship – had raised more than $55,000 so far.
The Essence of Hope ball is on Saturday from 6.30pm at The Sovereign in Northcote.
Tickets are available at www.trybooking.com/KIUF
