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THERE'S NO SUCH WORD AS CAN’T!
Like many Dads, my Dad is my hero, all my life I have looked up to him and admired his achievements, he was my superman!
Before Christmas 2016 he was diagnosed with brain cancer. A rapid form of the cancer that is robbing him of his dignity and his ability to communicate. I have to sit and watch the nurses ask him time and time again what his birthday is, what day of the week or what year it is and watch him stare back at them and do his best to give an answer! It frustrates the daylights out of him because he knows he’s getting it wrong but can’t find the correct answer. It’s getting worse day by day.
I tell him I love him but I’m not sure if he really understands anymore, nor does he fully understand what’s going on with him. The monitor by his bedside bleeps to let us know that his heart is beating way too fast as one of the tumours is in the area of his brain that controls motor function. He asks me if I can “fix that bloody clock”, I try my best to explain to him that it’s a monitor and it’s watching his heart rate for us. He nods as though he understands but I know full well from the blank look on his face that he doesn’t, he’ll ask me again in an hour or so.
I’m slowly losing my hero; the bloke that knew everything, he was a highly intelligent man that taught me how to kick a footy, do maths, play hockey, change a spark plug and talk to girls! I’m losing him, mind first, his beautiful mind is disappearing and there’s not a bloody thing I can do about it! But, I can try and stop it effecting your family and future generations.
It doesn’t matter how much money, love, determination or passion I have at this very moment, it won’t help my dad, but by raising money towards brain cancer research, it might help yours; or your brother or sister, or your children.
According to Charlie Teo (Australian Neurosurgeon), more kids die from brain cancer than any other disease. Charlie went on to say that research into Leukaemia changed its rates from a 90% chance of dying when he started medical school to a 90% chance of survival today. The only thing that changed this was getting funding to do the research. I will try to change the odds for brain cancer in the future.
If everyone in Australia donated $1 (a big target I know) we would raise 24 Million dollars and if we spread this around the world then who knows how much we could raise and what an impact it could have! I can’t sit here and do nothing, I’ve got to try something. My Dads favourite saying was, “there’s no such word as CAN’T”, and he lived by it! I’d like to prove him right!
This funding and research may not come quick enough to save my Dads life but it could save yours, your Dads, your kids or your partners. It won’t have an immediate impact but it will provide hope, hope that one day this disgusting disease is beaten and you don’t have to watch your Dad lose his dignity and his ability to understand and communicate that you love him and he loves you.
I also lost a best mate to brain cancer when he was in his early 30’s and my Dad is just 70, so age is no barrier. Individually I can’t make a difference and neither can you, but together and dollar by dollar we can.
Every cent raised will go towards brain cancer research and fighting this disease.
Brett Withington
Like many Dads, my Dad is my hero, all my life I have looked up to him and admired his achievements, he was my superman!
Before Christmas 2016 he was diagnosed with brain cancer. A rapid form of the cancer that is robbing him of his dignity and his ability to communicate. I have to sit and watch the nurses ask him time and time again what his birthday is, what day of the week or what year it is and watch him stare back at them and do his best to give an answer! It frustrates the daylights out of him because he knows he’s getting it wrong but can’t find the correct answer. It’s getting worse day by day.
I tell him I love him but I’m not sure if he really understands anymore, nor does he fully understand what’s going on with him. The monitor by his bedside bleeps to let us know that his heart is beating way too fast as one of the tumours is in the area of his brain that controls motor function. He asks me if I can “fix that bloody clock”, I try my best to explain to him that it’s a monitor and it’s watching his heart rate for us. He nods as though he understands but I know full well from the blank look on his face that he doesn’t, he’ll ask me again in an hour or so.
I’m slowly losing my hero; the bloke that knew everything, he was a highly intelligent man that taught me how to kick a footy, do maths, play hockey, change a spark plug and talk to girls! I’m losing him, mind first, his beautiful mind is disappearing and there’s not a bloody thing I can do about it! But, I can try and stop it effecting your family and future generations.
It doesn’t matter how much money, love, determination or passion I have at this very moment, it won’t help my dad, but by raising money towards brain cancer research, it might help yours; or your brother or sister, or your children.
According to Charlie Teo (Australian Neurosurgeon), more kids die from brain cancer than any other disease. Charlie went on to say that research into Leukaemia changed its rates from a 90% chance of dying when he started medical school to a 90% chance of survival today. The only thing that changed this was getting funding to do the research. I will try to change the odds for brain cancer in the future.
If everyone in Australia donated $1 (a big target I know) we would raise 24 Million dollars and if we spread this around the world then who knows how much we could raise and what an impact it could have! I can’t sit here and do nothing, I’ve got to try something. My Dads favourite saying was, “there’s no such word as CAN’T”, and he lived by it! I’d like to prove him right!
This funding and research may not come quick enough to save my Dads life but it could save yours, your Dads, your kids or your partners. It won’t have an immediate impact but it will provide hope, hope that one day this disgusting disease is beaten and you don’t have to watch your Dad lose his dignity and his ability to understand and communicate that you love him and he loves you.
I also lost a best mate to brain cancer when he was in his early 30’s and my Dad is just 70, so age is no barrier. Individually I can’t make a difference and neither can you, but together and dollar by dollar we can.
Every cent raised will go towards brain cancer research and fighting this disease.
Brett Withington