What’s Happening?
Sony Foundation, the charitable arm of the Sony Group of Companies, is marking a major milestone for You Can Stay. The program supports young regional Australians who must travel from home to receive specialised cancer treatment.
The milestone was recognised atop Brisbane’s Story Bridge on Wednesday, 19 August 2026. Queensland You Can Stay patients and families joined Sony Foundation supporters and advocates for the occasion. Together, they highlighted the distances many regional young people travel for life-saving treatment.
Celebrations continue at Sony Foundation’s annual Brissy4Ward 2026 event on Thursday, 20 August. Queensland figures from media, entertainment and business are uniting to raise vital funds and awareness.
Why It Matters
Delivered with Quest Apartment Hotels, You Can Stay provides free, uncapped accommodation for young Australians needing treatment away from home. It removes accommodation costs as an extra barrier, allowing families to focus on specialised cancer care.
This support is particularly important for regional families, who may face long and repeated trips for treatment. Without nearby accommodation, those distances can place more financial and personal pressure on patients and their relatives.
Hosted annually by Sony Foundation, Brissy4Ward combines music, entertainment and philanthropy to highlight gaps in youth cancer care. The event raises funds so young Australians can access specialised services, regardless of where they live.
Local Impact
Marcus Heironymus, 25, from Goondiwindi, knows firsthand how distance affects regional cancer patients. He was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 16 in 2017, before You Can Stay existed.
During his treatment, Marcus and his family regularly travelled from regional Queensland to Brisbane for specialised care. Some return trips took up to eight hours in a single day.
Now almost nine years in remission, Marcus has completed a 400-kilometre walk from Goondiwindi to Brisbane. Called The Chemo Commute, the walk single-handedly raised more than $130,000 for You Can Stay.
Marcus completed the fundraiser this week ahead of Brissy4Ward. He undertook the walk so other regional families would not have to face the same experience.
At Brissy4Ward, Marcus will share his cancer experience with guests. He will also explain the difference You Can Stay could have made for his family.
By the Numbers
- More than 50,000 funded nights: You Can Stay has reached this milestone since launching in 2020. The program has supported more than 550 regional families.
- Around 1,200 young Australians: This many are diagnosed with cancer each year, more than any other age group. One in three young cancer patients lives in a regional area.
- More than $18 million: Sony Foundation has committed this amount to its national youth cancer initiative, You Can, since 2010. The funding helps bridge critical healthcare gaps.
Zoom In
Fresh from performances in Nashville, Berlin and London, acclaimed Australian country artist Tyla Rodrigues will headline this year’s Brissy4Ward. She will appear alongside singer-songwriter and Sony Music artist Dylan Wright.
Hosting duties will be shared by well-known television and radio personalities from Sony Foundation’s media partners. ARN’s Kip Wightman and Alana Riley will host alongside 9Network’s Melissa Downes, Joel Dry and Peter Psaltis.
NOVA Entertainment will be represented by Nick Allen-Ducat, David “Luttsy” Lutteral and Susie O’Neill. Seven Network’s Max Futcher and Sarah Greenhalgh will also host with Sony Foundation Ambassador Giaan Rooney OAM.
Sony Foundation CEO Sophie Ryan-McPhee said the achievement showed both You Can Stay’s value and the program’s growing need.
“We are incredibly proud to reach 50,000 nights of funded accommodation through our You Can Stay program. It is a significant milestone, made possible by the generosity of our partners and supporters who share our belief that distance should never stand between a young person and the cancer care they need. You Can Stay launched in 2020 to help remove distance as a barrier to accessing life-saving cancer care, particularly for the one in three young people with cancer who live in regional areas. While this milestone is significant, it is also a powerful reminder of why this program is so important and why there is still more work to do,” said Ms Ryan-McPhee.
Zoom Out
Young cancer patients can be caught between paediatric and adult care, leaving their specific needs overlooked within the health system. Regional patients face the added difficulty of travelling away from home for specialised services.
Sony Foundation’s national You Can initiative works to close these gaps in youth cancer care. Within that broader program, You Can Stay directly addresses accommodation costs during treatment.
The milestone reflects the program’s support for regional families since 2020. However, it also points to the continuing demand for accommodation near specialised cancer services.
What To Look For Next?
Brissy4Ward continues in Brisbane on Thursday, 20 August, with Marcus due to address guests. His experience will show how funded accommodation can reduce pressure on regional patients and their families.
Money raised through the event will help You Can Stay support more young regional Australians during cancer treatment.
