On Sunday evening, the brave mother-of-two was awarded the TV week Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television for her role on The Project and her acceptance speech not only captivated the room at Melbourne’s Crown palladium, but also the nation.
“I’m going to use the two minutes that I have up hear… to talk about something incredibly close to my heart. I want to talk to you about brain cancer,” The 34-year-old explained.
The Project host then mentioned a sobering fact, “Every five hours someone is diagnosed with brain cancer and 8 out of 10 people diagnosed will die.”
Carrie lost her husband Greg Lange to the disease almost 5 years ago.
“In 2010 my husband Greg was one of the unlucky ones and after a long, long, long battle he died from brain cancer,” she said.
“Over ten years I watched him suffer multiple seizures a day, lose feeling down one side of his body, saw his three-year-old push him in his wheelchair because he couldn’t walk anymore,” she told the famous faces in the audience.
The journalist, who won a Logie earlier in the evening for most popular TV presenter, was barely able to hold back tears when she spoke about Greg. “He was an incredibly brave man, he was a great dad, he was a great husband, he was a great brother and he was a great friend but he shouldn’t of have to go through that.”
“Throughout his cancer journey he used to wear a lot of beanies, and that was because he was embarrassed about his scars. Beanies are cool,” the talented star quipped.
While placing a blue beanie on her head, the inspiring TV presenter encouraged Australian’s to wear a “beanie for brain cancer.”
“Sam, Kochie, Karl, Lisa…whose ever on TV tomorrow, whack on a beanie,” the Perth local urged.
And they listened, with Australia waking up this morning to their favourite breakfast TV stars donning beanies for brain cancer as well as getting #BeaniesForBrainCancer trending on twitter.
Carrie had son Oliver in 2007 with her late husband and in March added her daughter Evie to the family with new partner Chris Walker, who watch proudly from the audience.
The three-time Logie winner finished her speech with a moving dedication: ”I want to dedicate this award to anyone who is going through a really s–t time right now, anyone who is supporting someone through a really tough time right now, please believe that there will be a brighter day for you.”
On Monday Carrie took to twitter to show off two of her most special accomplishments this year, sharing a snap of her Gold Logie with a beanie draped on its head with the caption “2 of my proudest achievements this year…this”
Followed by another pic of her adorable daughter Evie, “And this,” the proud mum doted.
Carrie Bickmore, you’re a true star!