My Dad survived only 8 weeks after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). He was diagnosed with myelodysplastic sydrome (MDS), a “pre-leukaemia” in December 2016, and before we knew it, he was gone in June 2017. Being away from his home and farm meant that Dad suffered from home-sickness far more than the terrible disease that took him, and he bravely tolerated the brutal therapy that gave only a slim chance of allowing him to return to his home and life.

The scariest part I think of all of it, is that in most circumstances of cancer diagnosis, early detection gives the greatest chance of survival. However Dad’s early diagnosis, prior to even developing AML, was met with the harrowing news that there was little that could be done, and that the treatments available were only effective in a very small percentage of patients or the treatment may end his life sooner.

In June 2019, my sister Monica and I are trekking the Great Wall of China to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation. We hope that we are able to contribute to funding further research into more effective treatments for blood cancers as well as supporting blood cancer patients and families enduring the same ordeal. Please help us reach our fundraising goal.