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Million Dollar Tumour
Million Dollar Tumour
Television (Full Length) – 2006 Documentary
Today Live - Angela D'Audney
A well-known Kiwi who had a brain tumour
Asia Downunder - Series 13, Episode 17
Actor Yvonne Tan deals with having a brain tumour
NZ Story - Helena McAlpine, Living Every Moment
Another person suffering terminal illness
Born in New Zealand
A 1958 account of the NZ health system
Reluctant Hero
Another documentary produced by Stephen O'Meagher
Attitude: Living With Parkinson's
Another brain disease
Harry
A series produced by Stephen O'Meagher
A Death in the Family
A one-off drama dealing with sickness and death
Out of the Blue
A film produced by Stephen O'Meagher
In Million Dollar Tumour Dave Bowman narrates the “very personal tale” of his battle with cancer. The small town policeman was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2005, aged 35. Bowman took on funding agency Pharmac and the bureaucracy of the public health system to try to get a treatment drug subsidised for himself and other sufferers. Although his efforts partly prevailed, Bowman died in mid 2006, after this Inside New Zealand documentary screened. Directed by Dave Crerar (Here to Stay), Million Dollar Tumour won Best Documentary at the 2006 Qantas TV Awards.
So here lies the problem: an ever increasing choice of drugs, but a very limited pool of funds. Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because the medication exists, it exists for you.– Dave Bowman
More information
Acknowledgements
Made with funding from NZ On Air
Music
Song 'Stand Up' written by James Reid, and performed by The Feelers