Decades spent running a dairy farm has caused Trevor Eberle a fair share of back problems and even the loss of an index finger, courtesy of a cow with a powerful kick.

But it was a seemingly innocuous skin rash that led doctors to discover his biggest health problem — incurable blood cancer.

Key points: The Leukaemia Foundation program helps take cancer patients to their medical appointments

The Leukaemia Foundation program helps take cancer patients to their medical appointments Patients in need of help are being turned away due to a driver shortage

Patients in need of help are being turned away due to a driver shortage Drivers and patients build friendships from spending hours together on the road

"It was through the blood tests I found out I had myeloma. I'd never heard of it," Mr Eberle said.

"It starts out in the bone marrow and it can eat your bones away."

A small black speck on an X-ray confirmed myeloma was affecting his vertebrae. Left untreated, his bones could have slowly disintegrated.

The rare condition, which affects about 1,700 Australians each year, claimed the life of former international cricketer Max Walker in 2016.

Mr Smith and Mr Eberle head to Melbourne on a frosty June morning. ( ABC Shepparton: Will Kendrew )

Mr Eberle's plans to travel the outback with his wife were put on hold, replaced with nine months of weekly trips to Melbourne for blood tests and chemotherapy.

The 360-kilometre round trip from the Victorian country town of Tatura to St Vincent's Hospital by road, train and tram took two days and was an exhausting process for Mr Eberle and his family.

Using the public transport system also put Mr Eberle at increased risk of infection because of his weakened immune system.

"If I catch an infection, I'm straight back in hospital," he said.

"I'm told if my temperature reaches 38 degrees, I go straight to casualty."

Friendships forged on the road

A volunteer driver program run by the Leukaemia Foundation has provided a lifeline to Mr Eberle, allowing him to be shuttled between Tatura and Melbourne for appointments.

Brendan Smith from nearby Shepparton volunteers one day each week to take leukaemia patients to Melbourne hospitals.

Nurse Kate Chirnside shares a laugh with Trevor Eberle while taking a blood sample. ( ABC Melbourne: Kristian Silva )

He has built close friendships with his passengers through hundreds of hours on the road.

"When you take the patient again, whether it be the next week or the next fortnight, you actually continue that conversation," Mr Smith said.

"You get to know a lot more outside the square box that you live in."

Sport and politics are two topics that Mr Smith and Mr Eberle have bonded over during at least 30 trips in the past 18 months.

Australia's recent thumping win over England in the cricket World Cup and the Israel Folau sacking saga are up for discussion when the ABC catches up with the pair.

"If there's other patients there's really good camaraderie," Mr Eberle said.

"We compare notes of how treatments are going but nothing gets too serious."

Patients turned away

Brendan Smith has taken dozens of patients for treatment in the past three years. ( ABC Melbourne: Kristian Silva )

The Leukaemia Foundation had more than 250 volunteer drivers around Australia, but there was a dire shortage around Melbourne, spokeswoman Emma Craig said.

"We often have people that are turned away from the service because it far exceeds the supply of what we're able to provide," she said.

Ms Craig said the foundation was hoping to find more drivers around the Melbourne area for local appointments.

The program works on a casual arrangement where drivers can choose when to help out, even if it is only for a few hours at a time.

A valid driver's licence is required and prospective volunteers need to pass a police check.

"Right now in Australia, we've got 100,000 people living with a blood cancer. We know that that amount is increasing every single day," she said.

"The volunteer drivers really are a vital role within the organisation."

New lease of life

Mr Eberle often listens to podcasts to pass the time during chemotherapy. ( ABC Melbourne: Kristian Silva )

Mr Eberle's hospital trips have reduced from once a week to once a month due to a myeloma trial drug, daratumumab.

The clinical trial has spared him the enormous cost of the drug, which is not subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

While he hadn't been spared completely from chemotherapy, Mr Eberle said the new treatment had given him the chance to travel the outback again.

A road trip to Queensland is planned for September, he said.

"I sort of put it in the back of my head now," Mr Eberle said of myeloma.