A family torn by cancer - Two daughters asking for help

We are two daughters trying to stay strong as we prepare to lose our Father to terminal cancer.

Dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 renal cancer in May 2024. From the beginning, treatment options were limited due to his existing heart disease and having two blockages in his arteries, which meant surgery to remove the kidney wasn’t possible.

Immunotherapy was the only treatment he could undergo, and while we hoped it would slow the progression of the cancer, unfortunately dad had many side effects and complications due to the treatment, it led to other health issues, multiple hospital admissions and making the tough decision to pause treatment in October 2024.

We held on to hope, prayed for time and have watched him fight with so much determination and strength. But sadly over the past month things have changed.

The cancer has spread to other organs and throughout his lymph nodes, and we have now been told there are no other treatment options.

Those words felt like the ground fell out from beneath us, it’s a pain that’s hard to put into words.

Watching someone you love fade from this horrible disease is something you can never truly be ready for. After already losing our beautiful mum and our closest aunty to cancer not long ago, we are completely shattered.

The impact of cancer on our family began long before all of this. When I was just 15, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was a terrifying time, but by some miracle and with a lot of strength, I was lucky enough to beat it. We never imagined back then that cancer would continue to touch our family in such heartbreaking ways - taking our mum, our aunty, and now slowly taking our dad too.

What’s even harder to say out loud is that soon, we will have no parents at the ages of 32 and 26. That’s a pain we can’t begin to describe. The thought of living in this world without both our mum and dad is something we’re struggling to come to terms with. We’re doing our best to stay strong, but the emotional toll is overwhelming.

Our dad is all we have left, and we want nothing more than to be there for him, to care for him in these final months, and to give him the peaceful, dignified farewell he deserves.

But life doesn’t pause for grief.

Asking for help doesn’t come easy for us. We’ve always done everything on our own, quietly carrying the weight and doing our best to stay strong through every challenge life has thrown our way. But this time is different. This is bigger than us, and we’ve come to a place where we have to put pride aside and reach out because we simply can’t do this part alone. It’s one of the hardest things we’ve ever had to ask, but we know in our hearts it’s the right time to ask for support.

We’ve both had to take a step back from work to be by his side because this time is precious and we want to make sure he is surrounded by love every step of the way. But with that comes the weight of financial pressure, especially as we now prepare for the heartbreaking task of eventually having to plan his farewell.

If you’re in a position to help, your kindness would mean more than words can say.

Your support will help take some of the pressure off our shoulders, will go towards out of pocket medical expenses, funeral expenses and allow us to focus on spending this precious time with our dad.

From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for reading our story, donating, sharing, and for standing beside us in this moment of heartbreak.

With love,

April & Zoe