The Aporia · Amid the darkness of kidney disease, this Geelong grandfather finds light in drawing

Rob Lymer, a 68-year-old grandfather from Geelong suffering from terminal cancer and chronic kidney disease, uses his witty cartoons to bring joy to patients and staff at Barwon Health’s home dialysis unit near Geelong Hospital. He has created an annual calendar with his humorous drawings, which are on sale to raise funds for the center. Lymer's creations range from whimsical images of racing poop to poignant ones illustrating the emotional weight of illness and respite care, reflecting both his struggles and gratitude towards medical staff who support him during challenging times.

Written by AI on 2026-10-11, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Rob Lymer, a 68-year-old grandfather from Belmont, Geelong, is using his talent for drawing to uplift fellow patients and staff at Barwon Health’s home dialysis unit near Geelong Hospital. Diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2014 and now undergoing chronic kidney disease treatment, Lymer has been creating witty cartoons that decorate the walls of the dialysis unit. His drawings include whimsical scenes like a "shit house sprint," featuring different types of feces racing across the page, as well as more poignant illustrations such as nurses ready to catch a falling patient depicted as Humpty Dumpty. Since starting dialysis two years ago, Lymer has also produced his second annual calendar to raise funds for the center. His humorous and touching artwork aims to bring light into the often challenging environment of kidney disease treatment.

Written for “Kidney Disease Hope Through Art” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Kidney Disease Hope Through Art

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Carolyn Webb

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🔮 Lymer would still email the nurses a cartoon once a week, in what he called “Friday Funnies”.

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One of Stevens’ favourite cartoons is a Little Miss Dialysis drawing (inspired by the Mr Men series) that depicts staff members as having qualities like Little Miss Motivator, or a counsellor, or someone bearing cheese and biscuits.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-11

🔮 Lymer would still email the nurses a cartoon once a week, in what he called “Friday Funnies”.

2026-10-11 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Amid the darkness of kidney disease, this Geelong grandfather finds light in drawing · assertive framing

To suffer from both terminal cancer and chronic kidney disease is no joke, but Rob Lymer is spreading light in the dark with his witty cartoons. asserted

Lymer → suffer → cartoons

In his two years as a patient of Barwon Health’s home dialysis unit in Geelong, the 68-year-old’s sharp and quirky characters have brought much-needed smiles to staff and patients. asserted

characters → bring → staff

His works line the walls of the unit, near Geelong Hospital, and he has completed his second annual calendar, which is on sale to raise money for the centre. asserted

which → line → centre

Among Lymer’s more whimsical ’toons are a “shit house sprint”, which depicts different consistencies of poo with little legs racing across the page. asserted

which → depict → page

Other cartoons are more poignant, such as a circle of nurses ready to catch a Humpty Dumpty falling off a wall. asserted

cartoons → catch → wall

Lymer, a retired cleaner and labourer, has had a tough time health-wise. asserted

Lymer → have → time

In 2014, the grandfather from Belmont was diagnosed with bladder cancer. asserted

grandfather → diagnose → cancer

He also has type 1 diabetes. asserted

He → have → diabetes

Two years ago, he started dialysis, which involves repeated cleaning of the blood by a machine when the kidneys fail. asserted

kidneys → start → machine

Initially, he learnt self-dialysis at the unit for four days a week. asserted

he → learn → days

Then for a year, he conducted his dialysis at home for eight hours overnight, five times a week. asserted

he → conduct → hours

Lymer would still email the nurses a cartoon once a week, in what he called “Friday Funnies”. asserted

he → email → what

He is now back doing his dialysis at the clinic. asserted

He → do → clinic

Dialysis clinical nurse specialist Lucy Stevens says it’s amazing how Lymer’s cartoons connect with people and bring humour to difficult situations. asserted

cartoons → say → situations

She says he is a positive person, but the cartoons can reveal underlying issues. asserted

cartoons → say → issues

One image depicts a figure with the world on his shoulders next to a smiling man dressed as a king. asserted

image → depict → king

Above the first man are the words “walking into respite”. asserted

words → walk → respite

Lymer says the drawing expressed how he struggled to conduct home dialysis while receiving chemotherapy for cancer, and how grateful he was to be offered a week of dialysis in the unit. asserted

he → say → unit

that → inspire → cheese

Stevens says it made her emotional to realise what the staff can mean to a patient beyond the medical sense and that it is “just so generous” for Lymer to think of others by creating a 2027 calendar of his cartoons. asserted

Lymer → say → cartoons

Three months ago, Lymer was told he has lung cancer, which has spread to other organs and is terminal. asserted

which → tell → organs

Fellow dialysis patient Max Bradfield, 75, of Ocean Grove, says Lymer’s comics “give me a feeling of inclusion, that someone else understands the ups and downs, I guess, of working your way through it all.” asserted

I → say → it

Of the “very impressive” works, Bradfield’s message to Lymer is simple: “Well done, you’re helping me, very much, and keep up the good work.” asserted

you → do → work

Amid the darkness of kidney disease, this Geelong grandfather finds light in drawing

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