In Memory of Sam Benge, in support of Tracy and their family

It is with my deepest sorrow and heaviest heart that we inform you of the passing of Sam Benge, Tracy's beautiful husband and loving dad to Zac, Ethan, Evie, Hallie and Aurora. Sam sadly passed on Tuesday night 21 January 2025, surrounded by family and some of the people most closest to him.

I am hoping this gofundme which we started when Sam was initially diagnosed with cancer to help support him, Tracy and the kids through his treatment and surgery until he got back on his feet. Then 12 months later when Sam received the news confirming his biggest fear, that his cancer had returned and he was diagnosed as terminal.

I appreciate so much everyone's donations to date and any other type of caring gestures, words and support you have provided to Sam, Tracy and their family through these very tough times, but i am asking we come together one more time and this is during the toughest. I have had many people reach out to me to ask what does Tracy need and how can they help, i feel this is the best way to help if you are unsure how, this can help alleviate some of the financial stress and allow Tracy to put what little energy she has to pull together at the moment into their children and seeing out Sam's wishes.

***UPDATE***

Life has thrown Sam, Tracy and their family a massive curveball they never saw coming. After hurting his back on Sam's last work stint, he went for scans and they found a fracture in his spine. Those scans uncovered some abnormalities, which led to more scans… and then the news that has shaken them to their core. Sam's cancer has returned, and it’s spread—through his lungs, muscles, bones and lymph nodes. It’s the kind of news that stops you in your tracks. The kind that makes you rethink everything, but he didn't have to rethink anything, they already had a plan. With the only options being a lifetime of chemo in a hospital everyday waiting and hoping for a miracle clinical trial, they've chosen to do what they have always done best—pack up, hit the road, and go and live life.

They ventured across the Sturt Highway via Wagga, Hay, Mildura to Adelaide, to pickup from where they left off. Right now, they're soaking in the beauty of the Yorke Peninsula SA with all the kids both big and small, with Maz and Phil along for the ride. It’s a full-on family adventure, and while the road ahead is uncertain, Sam and Tracy are determined to make the most of every single moment.

(Sam's words)

There's no words to describe how lucky I am to have Tracy by my side, holding everything together, reminding me to take my supplements, carrying my jobs around the bus (not that I have many) comforting me when I need her, always asking if I'm OK, I now take a second to answer that question, always having my back with decisions I make but making me question my own judgement just so we can be sure, loving me constantly, being there for the kids when they need a shoulder to cry on, cooking amazing food, even with everything going on in our lives, you always seem to keep everything together. I love you so much and I'm so glad we're doing this thing called life together. Sorry we took off from the Coast in such a hurry and didn't get out and see everyone before we took off, it was the best thing for us as a family to do. 'Everyone dies, Not everyone Lives, go and Live'

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Dear friends, family and caring individuals

We are reaching out to you today to rally support for one of our own – A beautiful family facing a long and difficult journey ahead.

As many of you would know Sam Benge, a loving father of five and a dedicated husband, has been recently diagnosed with Stage 2-3 Colorectal Cancer at a mere age of 32.

All that have crossed the life path of Sam would say without hesitation, he is one of the most kind hearted, genuine, hardworking men that you have known, with the old school morals and honesty we don't commonly see in the world today. Sam would give a stranger his last $10 if he felt they needed it and in turn would happily go without. Sam is a person who is always willing to lend a hand, with no expectation of anything in return, but now is the time we need to rally together to help a man that now needs our help and as we all know, would never ask for it.

He will have surgery in early 2024 to remove the tumour and also half of his bowel. This surgery will have a significant recovery period of 6-8 weeks at a minimum, then will potentially continue a further 6-12 months of Chemo after that with all going to plan.

This GoFundMe campaign is our way of rallying behind Sam and his family to show them our love and support. Any contributions will be much appreciated to alleviate the financial burden on the family for having to commute to Chemo/Radiotherapy 7 days per week, ongoing medical costs, childcare costs as Tracy will be caring for Sam and accompanying him to his treatment appointments, accommodation costs for their big beast of a bus that will need to be permanently housed for the duration of the treatment and general living costs. As we all know Sam is not afraid of a hard days work, his work is quite physical and long hours, something Sam will not be able to do for some time while he fights this!

No contribution to this GoFundMe is too big or too small. Together, we can make a profound impact on Sam and his family’s future. Let's show our compassion and support, send positive energy, and help Sam beat this cruel disease.

Please share this campaign with your friends, family and co-workers, and let's unite as a support network to provide some financial assistance that can ease some of the stress and anxiety of the unknown through this difficult time. If you have wanted to help but you were unsure how, this is the best way possible.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your compassion, generosity, and support!