Two Women, One Heart

At Client Care First, compassion isn’t just something written into a mission statement, it’s something lived every day. Two people who embody this mantra beautifully is Client Care First, Director, Meryn and Team Leader, Xanthe, a mother-daughter duo who work side by side supporting participants across the Shoalhaven and Illawarra. This year, they decided to take their care for others to a whole new level by shaving their heads to raise funds for the Cancer Council.

For both women, the decision to shave their heads was deeply personal and overwhelmingly purposeful. They wanted to honour friends, family, participants, and countless Australians whose lives have been affected by cancer. But just as importantly, they wanted to show their community what courage, solidarity, and love can look like.

“We see the strength of people every day in our work,” Xanthe shared. “Supporting people with disabilities has taught me that resilience comes in so many forms. Shaving my head felt like a small way to show that same strength back to a community that gives us so much.”

Meryn, who has worked in disability support for over a decade, felt a strong pull to lead by example. “I’ve always believed that helping people isn’t just a job,” she said. “It’s who we are. When you give to others, you give meaning to your own life. Shaving my head wasn’t as scary as I first thought it might be, it felt freeing. It felt like the right way to stand with people going through something much bigger than hair loss.”

Together, they set a fundraising goal and were blown away by the support that followed. Participants, their families, colleagues, and local community members rallied behind them with donations, messages of encouragement, and even offers to sit in the barber’s chair alongside them. On the day of the head shave, the atmosphere was electric; full of laughter, pride, and a few happy tears.

“We had people cheering, clapping, and hugging us,” Xanthe recalled with a smile. “It reminded me that kindness inspires more kindness. What started as a simple idea turned into something so much bigger.” 

This dynamic due were also joined by WAVEFM’s Drive announcer, Mick Caruana and CCF Team Leader, Lisa and CCF Disability Support Worker, Talia. “Seeing two more of our CCF teammates jump in with us as well as Mick, it honestly felt like the whole community was standing with us. I’ll never forget that,” Xanthe said. 

For Client Care First, their fundraiser was more than a feel-good moment, it was a powerful reflection of the organisation’s values. Meryn and Xanthe’s commitment to helping others mirrors the high level of care they bring to their participants daily. Their compassion extends beyond their workplace and into the broader community, reinforcing the belief that when you care deeply, you create lasting impact.

Meryn summed it up perfectly: “Every day we get to help someone achieve something, whether it’s a small win or a life-changing milestone. That’s the joy of this job. And if we can take that same energy and use it to support a cause like the Cancer Council, then that’s a privilege.”

Their shaved heads will grow back and are coming along nicely, but the message they’ve sent, and the funds they raised, will continue to make waves. In a world where kindness is one of the most valuable gifts, Meryn and Xanthe prove that compassion isn’t just something you say. It’s something you show.