Cancer is in no way selective as to who it impacts, and when Melise Hutchings' niece Emily died from cancer only a month before her 21st birthday, Melise was devastated.
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"On Wednesday she would have turned 23 and the feeling is still really raw for me," she said.
"My chest hurts so much that it takes my breath away."
Mrs Hutchings decided that something had to be done to help those like Emily and her family cope with the ordeal that a cancer diagnosis brings.
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As the owner of Blayney Botanicals it seemed natural to use her skills and knowledge in floristry as a conduit for fundraising, however the decision to use artificially coloured roses was one that Mrs Hutchings was, initially, uncertain about.
"Em really liked the Rainbow roses, but to be honest, I don't," she said with a smile.
"Whenever I visited her in hospital and she was either asleep or in treatment, I used to leave her some of the roses so she knew we were there.
"She'd be laughing now that I'm using the roses as a fundraiser."
On reflection Mrs Hutching now can see the symbolism that the roses define.
"They were her favourite and with rainbows being a symbol of positivity, hope, peace and light after a storm, it was a natural choice," she said.
Funds raised are going to Samuel Johnson's Love Your Sister campaign and the Chris O'Brien Lifehouse.
Mrs Hutchings hopes that the idea catches on, and with sales of 500 of the roses already in July, it seems it already has.
The stems are $8 each and are on sale until the end of July.
Delivery is available to Orange on Tuesday the 30th.
