Grant McArthur: How Olivia Newton-John was hopelessly devoted to aiding cancer patients
When Olivia Newton-John’s crusade to open a cancer hospital was finally realised, she treated a nervous pair to a personal celebratory serenade.
Opinion
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I had finally tracked down Olivia Newton-John, secretly holed up in a discreet hotel room where she’d been banned from talking to the media.
It was after 7pm when we hit the intercom. Although Newton-John was prepared to buzz us up to her floor, photographer Ellen Smith and I had no idea what reaction we’d receive.
I knocked on the star’s door. And waited. Nervously.
When the door opened, we were swept up by the biggest smile. Newton-John begged us to come inside, then treated us to the most infectious and intimate celebration.
It was state budget day 2010. Newton-John had been granted $69m to realise her most personal crusade of opening a hospital for cancer patients.
LEAVE YOUR TRIBUTES TO OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN BELOW
The problem? Newton-John had sworn a promise to premier John Brumby. She could not discuss the funding ahead of his announcement the next day.
Yet it was pretty obvious Newton-John just couldn’t contain herself – especially when she stepped on to the hotel room’s couch and jumped up and down singing “I love you John Brumby, I love you John Brumby”.
The couch jumping spectacle was everything Tom Cruise’s infamous Oprah scene was not – spontaneous, honest, heartfelt and joyous. It had been seven years of hard work in the making.
Newton-John was not celebrating any personal achievement, and perhaps this was the most endearing element to her hotel-room outpouring. She was looking ahead and celebrating for the thousands of cancer patient she knew would benefit.
Calls were made to Brumby’s office. It was confirmed Newton-John could pose for a photo to run in the next day’s paper to foreshadow the premier’s announcement – as long as she didn’t reveal any further details or provide comment.
Instantly, the pages’ worth of comments Newton-John had already spilt out to me were ruled to be to off-the-record. Her official response was reduced to a cheeky: “I am absolutely thrilled – John Brumby is my hero.”
When Ellen came to take the photo, the restrictions were even more limiting. The star demanded the lights be turned down low. The strictest of angles were to be adhered to as she sat and posed on the couch.
I had previously annoyed Newton-John with calls to her US home in the middle of the night, to seek comments to help her push for the hospital. As a thankyou for the coverage, she treated me to the briefest personal serenade with her 1974 hit I Honestly Love You.
Then we raced out the door to write the story before the newspaper’s deadline. I had a story I could mostly not write. Ellen’s photo was so poorly lit the paper had to be hurriedly redrawn to move it from page 1 to page 7.
Nevertheless, we had the most inspiring taste of just how Newton-John had managed to charm many millions of dollars to make her dream come true, as well as how personally devoted she was to saving other cancer patients.
Her gift of song that night was certainly more tasteful than the first present I received from Newton-John. As a young suburban reporter in 2002 I wrote an article about her venture to launch Koala Blue wines. Soon afterwards, I was stunned to receive a few bottles of her red and white, as well as a signed photograph.
At $8.99 a bottle I naughtily chose to keep the gift for an upcoming party. Yet even my impoverished university mates refused to drink the stuff, underlining the Nicks Wine Merchants’ review at the time: “This is a huge step backwards for the Australian Wine Industry and quite regrettable. Olivia Newton John should have stuck to her pop career.”
When the premier’s announcement of funding for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness Centre did come around, finally freeing up its star to speak and share her joy, she chose to publicly serenade Brumby with my song, I Honestly Love You.
Unlike her wine, it was impossible to feel even the slightest bitterness at having to share her excitement.
In the years since, countless patients at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness Centre have been similarly serenaded. They tell stories about a star who made personal trips into her own hospital to pass on words of support more meaningful and sacred than anything that could ever be shared publicly.
Her legacy will live on
Austin Health chief executive Adam Horsburgh said Newton-John’s legacy within cancer research will “live on for many years to come”.
“We want to honour and recognise the enormous contribution that Olivia has made to thousands of patients who have received care at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre,” he said.
“It’s through Olivia’s time, effort and dedication that the centre was established.
“She really touched the lives of many patients, and also our staff, over many years.
“She will be greatly missed but her legacy will live on.”
Mr Horsburgh said the star changed the way the world looks at cancer care through prioritising a holistic approach.
“Olivia’s dream and vision for the centre was to care for the whole of the patient — their mind, body and spirit,” he said.
Newton-John established the centre located at Austin Health in her hometown of Melbourne in 2012.
Patients have access to world-leading treatment and wellness programs, including music therapy, yoga, massage, financial advice and support groups.
It has more than 200 clinical trials in progress.
Ongoing cancer patient at the centre, Christine Brain, said she was “forever grateful” for the care she had received.
The 57-year-old was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2014.
Ms Brain lives in Koondrook, a town located on the Murray River, and drives more than four hours every few months to receive treatment at the centre.
“I feel blessed to be a patient here,” she said.
“The ongoing care that I have received is just phenomenal — it’s above and beyond.
“It’s like a haven, the wellness centre, it takes your thoughts away from the treatment.”
She said she was “absolutely devastated” when she heard the news of Newton-John’s passing on Tuesday morning.
“She’s given a lot of us cancer patients hope, that travelling the journey, you’re not on your own,” she said.
“It’s a sad day for Australia. But she will live on forever in our lives.”
Ms Brain said she had passed Newton-John in the hallway while receiving treatment.
“It was just after Olivia was admitted and had the operation – I didn’t know (it was her) at the time,” she said.
“And I thought, wow, I came so close to putting my hand on her and asking her if she was OK.”
— With Sarah Perillo
Originally published as Grant McArthur: How Olivia Newton-John was hopelessly devoted to aiding cancer patients
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