Elaine Arrigo and her husband Nino were destined to be together. They were both born in Werribee in the 1950s, back when it was more like a large country town where almost everyone knew each other; they practically grew up together. This rich sense of community is thankfully still alive and well in certain pockets of ‘old Werribee’.
Elaine recalls riding her bike to tennis training and often passing Nino on her journey. She was a shy girl and lacked the confidence to smile and wave as she passed. Despite having the impression that Elaine was a bit of a snob, which later became something Nino would tease her about, he asked her out on a date when she was 17. They quickly bonded and were married for 43 beautiful years.
Elaine lost her beloved husband to cancer in 2016. She still feels the heavy weight of grief, missing him every day.
“Nino was my rock. He was cheeky. He was very honest. He was a family man, he loved us, and he loved his parents. He was very athletic; if he liked a sport, he would be good at it. He was a talented runner and VFL player. He was also very community focused. He spent 40 years with Rotary.”
When Nino’s mum passed away from cancer in the late 80s, he felt compelled to do something positive to fight the deadly disease. He decided to ride his bike from Perth to Melbourne as a fundraiser. It was a gruelling journey, but he was determined and, after two weeks on the road, Nino proudly rode into the city of Melbourne, raising $150,000 for cancer research.
Photo: Nino during his fundraising bike ride from Perth to Melbourne
Nino’s bike ride is still regarded as the biggest fundraiser and one of the best projects that the Rotary Club of Werribee has been involved in.
Elaine recalls Nino was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International in July 1991. “He was a very humble man and didn’t enjoy the accolades. For him, it was purely about raising money for cancer research and for his mum.”
Nino and Elaine’s initial connection with St Vincent’s was the five years he spent undergoing treatment for Mantel Cell Lymphoma, an unusual blood cancer, at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne.
Elaine said the staff who cared for Nino were amazing. “My daughter Louise, Nino and I were at the cancer centre for his treatment every three weeks. The staff were so caring and committed.”
Nino fought hard but he succumbed to the aggressive blood cancer on 27 November 2016.
Photo: Nino and Elaine with their children Louise and John.
A few years ago, Elaine developed an interest in supporting her new local hospital, St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee. She recalls, “A long-time friend, Werribee Committee Member, Anthony Robesco, invited me to one of the St Vincent’s Werribee fundraising dinners. The hospital is beautiful. I love the vision that it was created to expand, which is just what we need.”
Elaine sat next to Sister Maryanne Confoy, a member of the Sisters of Charity, the founders of St Vincent’s Hospital, a former St Vincent’s Health Australia Board Member and current Spiritual Advisor.
“I really enjoyed meeting Sister Maryanne. I sat next to her at the next event I attended, and we had a great chat. We exchanged numbers and recently caught up for coffee. She’s a wealth of knowledge and is very caring. I feel very fortunate to have formed a new friendship with her.”
In 2022, Elaine chose to give a generous donation to St Vincent’s Werribee.
“There’s something special about St Vincent’s. I was a patient myself recently to have an operation on my thumb. I had a wonderful surgeon, and the staff were very caring and dedicated, even the cleaners. It’s the people that make it special.
“I decided to support the hospital because we have always received great care at St Vincent’s. I know Nino would have wanted me to support St Vincent’s.
“It’s just a shame Nino couldn’t be treated in Werribee. We had to get up at 6am and battle traffic every time he had to be at the hospital in Melbourne. Having an excellent private hospital locally is a game-changer,” Elaine said.
