Hi, my name is Michael. I am a 50 year old male and have been married to my best friend for 20 years. My wife and I have two wonderful teenage boys. My life forever changed soon after my 49th birthday last year when my GP offered me a free medical check-up - I thought what the heck, I had nothing to lose and it would be routine, until the results came back and I was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.

I have always been reasonably fit and healthy to the point that I took my health for granted and felt invincible and unbreakable with an attitude of “it will never happen to me!” But it did. To complicate matters, I have a rare skin condition (called Hidradenitis suppurativa) which I was diagnosed with in my late 20’s and required multiple surgeries that saw me in and out of hospital over many years whilst trying various medications and antibiotics. Last year I started a trial with a new drug called Humira (an immune suppressant) which finally got my condition under control. But upon my cancer diagnosis I had to stop taking Humira due to it compromising my immune system - the medical professionals did not know if it would stop my body fighting my cancer and they did not want to take a chance. Within months of my cancer diagnosis, I was back in and out of hospital having surgeries to remove infections and draining infected glands which resulted in 4 - 5 surgeries over a 6-week period. There have been regular appointments to monitor my prostate and Prostate Specific Antigen levels (under 4.0 ng/mL is considered normal for a male aged 50 to 60 years old, mine had jumped to 22.6 ng/mL), blood tests, MRI scans every 3 months and a biopsy every 6 months. One of these scans revealed I had melanoma (skin cancer) on my face which I recently had surgery to have removed.

I have struggled all my life financially, living paycheck to paycheck and never seeming to get in front until finally landing the best job of my life as a gas service technician just after my 49th birthday. For the first time in my life, I was finally getting in front enough to fulfill the Aussie dream of buying a house. However, with constant medical appointments, time off work, mounting medical expenses (my urologist and dermatologist agreed to put me back on Humira weekly injections), using all my sick leave and not having income protection (it will never happen to me!), I am beginning to struggle financially once again.

To make matters worse, a very close family friend passed away a few weeks ago and after hearing the news whilst driving home I broke down in tears causing me to have a major car accident, resulting in a badly fractured sternum which put me in hospital for several days.

After being released from hospital, I attended the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute to learn that I required surgery to remove my prostate - the medication for my acute skin disorder, chemotherapy and radiation treatment meant that surgery was my only option. I am now on the waiting list of up to 3 months for this life saving surgery. Post surgery I will be looking at another 8-10 weeks recovery.

I’m mentally exhausted and financially drained - I don’t know how I will make ends meet with a family to look after and bills to pay, including a mortgage, whilst not receiving any income during my recovery period. I have lived my life not asking for help and always finding a way to solve any challenge life has thrown my way but this time I am asking for help.

If you are able to contribute in any way to help with the financial situation I am facing it would mean so much, but even if you can’t, just sharing my story with people you know would mean the world to me.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.