Cholangiocarcinoma

Hi there. On the passing of Stephen McMorrow, we as a family have decided to donate to the medical research of Cholangiocarcinoma which is a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in the bile ducts.

Stephen was diagnosed on the 15th December 2020 with a major liver resection surgery on the 6thJanuary 2021. During the year of 2021, Stephen had chemotherapy and radiation treatments as a preventative action for the elimination of this cancer. The chemotherapy treatment was unsuccessful, but we did feel as a family his treatment was a success. However, in June 2022, his blood tests showed abnormalities once again. After many months of blood tests and biopsies towards the end of 2022, he was then diagnosed in December with the same cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma, Stage IV.

On the 4th January, 2023, Stephen then started treatment again of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, knowing that it would become chemo resistant. In April of this year, only four months into the treatment, it became chemo resistant as we were told it would. On the 6th June, Stephen was admitted into the Lifehouse Hospital in Camperdown with a bowel blockage, for which he had to undergo surgery to remove. This operation was of eight hours and was deemed a success, however left the stomach paralysed. The surgeons tried many different treatments at the Lifehouse without success.

Stephen being a dedicated, caring and loving father to three children and a husband of 29 and a half years (to the date), he fought for nine weeks for the opportunity to return home to his family. Unfortunately, with the condition that Stephen was in, he left the hospital in palliative care. He was fortunate to have two weeks at home in the care of his family which was valuable time with everyone. It was then on the 22nd August we felt that Stephen needed extra care that home could no longer provide, he spent the last remaining days at the St Vincent Private Hospital. He sadly passed away on the 26th August 2023 in the evening.

As a family we would appreciate any donation towards research into Cholangiocarcinoma, and its cure.

Vale.