Support for the Guest Family's Future 75

On the 24th of April this year I took my husband Shaun to emergency in Bendigo as he had a headache that wouldn't go away and was having difficulty with his left hand coordination. He was given a CT scan and we were told that there was a tumour growing on the left, inside of his brain. He was taken by ambulance that night to the Royal Melbourne hospital where it was confirmed with an MRI that he had a form of brain cancer and suggested that removal and biopsy was our best path forward. On the 1st of May Shaun went into theatre where the surgeons removed a 4cm round tumour. On the 8th of May we were given the devastating biopsy result that Shaun had a grade 4 Glioblastoma, a highly aggressive vascular and terminal form of brain cancer that had an average life expectancy of 6 - 18months. Treatment offered is a 6 week course of radio therapy 5 days a week alongside Chemotherapy which will start begin on the 23rd May. This isn't offered as a cure, just a method to hopefully delay and buy more time.

Some of you reading this will already know that this isn't the first time that our family has faced medical and very personal hardship. In 2018 when our then 11 year old son Gabriel suffered a brain anneurism. He had surgery at the Royal Melbourne where he also suffered a stroke and a brain infection ( Menengitis ) while in recovery he spent 14 long days in a medically induced coma. We spent 3.5 months in the Royal Children's hospital. Gabriel left hospital in a wheelchair and had to learn to walk and function again with the stroke leaving him impaired on his left side. He is incredible and so strong and with his hard work we have been blessed with a full recovery. We couldn't be prouder of him, his twin brother Raphael and older sister Sunday on how they came through this terrible time in their lives. It is our deepest want and need that they continue to thrive regardless of this cruel card that they have been dealt. Their mental health and well being are our only priority.

This time set our family back emotionally and also financially. Shaun lost around 90% of his business that year as he couldn't travel to QLD to photograph weddings and also had to refund deposits at a cost of almost $20,000. It was a very difficult time all round but through it all we just felt so very blessed to have our boy with us.

Then just over a year later, Covid which bought everything to a halt.

During Covid Shaun took a job in a factory in Shepparton, travelling working a 4 on 4 off roster and I could only clean for clients when it was covidly possible. We took the option both times it was available to draw from our superannuation knowing it wasn't the best move but financially we just didn't have a choice. As a small business owner for the previous 15 years super was something that came last when it came to bills to pay. Talking with other small business owner friends, unfortunately it seems we are not alone in this.

As a family, we had just gotten to a point where things were looking good again. Shaun received a promotion literally a week before he was diagnosed and my cleaning business was growing and in a good place. Our children were all doing really well emotionally and all working hard in their part time jobs and going about their individual lives really positively. We were making plans and life was honestly just peaceful and simple which was all that we needed. We were very content and inspired but this has obviously sent us reeling. Telling our children this news was literally heartbreaking and the hardest thing that we have had to do.

As it stands, Shaun has had to resign from work and he has been given a 6 month driving ban. Daily Radiation and Chemotherapy for 6 weeks to start and then a scan at 10 weeks to see how the tumour is progressing before deciding on the next round of treatment. The Doctors have told us that the average expected life span is 6-18 months and that the tumour will grow back. At this stage I have had to cut back my workload to accomodate for Shaun's treatment and appointments and will just have to see how everything progresses.

With Shaun leaving the family our future is uncertain. What we are asking is for you to make a contribution to help secure our family's future.

Thank you so much,

Shelly.