I’m helping to beat blood cancer by taking part in the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave!
My Poppa Bears name is Phill.. he is a loving husband proud father and more recently a doting grandfather (Snoop)! His favourite pastime is smacking a ball around 18 holes and not much lights him up more than a Richmond win!
To the unassuming eye he is happy, healthy and living his best life but for the past 7 years he has been riding the rollercoaster that is living with cancer.
Multiple Myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the world. It is estimated that 2423 Australians will be diagnosed in 2021 and the five year survival rate is 51%. There are a number of serious symptoms and over the course of his battle, Dad has experienced nearly all of them:
- Bone pain or broken bone without an obvious injury
- Frequent infections
- Tiredness, shortness of breath or a racing heart
- Kidney problems
- Nosebleeds or easy bruising
- Feeling sick and drowsy
- Abnormal blood counts
Whilst there are a number of treatment options, there is currently no cure for Multiple Myeloma. On the 6th of November 2019 Dad was given a terminal prognosis and told that he likely had less than 12 months to live.
Thankfully, for one reason or another Dad has been beating the odds dealt to him. Our family has never been so conscious of time and we do our best to really cherish moments spent all together. For me personally, being able to introduce my son to his Grandfather was so special. I’m eternally grateful for all the joy they bring each other and know Teddy is a better person for every second spent with my Dad.
Every day that Dad fights on is another opportunity for greater medical advancements and treatment options. On the 6th of November 2021, 2 years on from his terminal prognosis, I hope to support those efforts by participating in the Worlds Greatest Shave. If you have any dollars you could spare I would be ridiculously grateful & I hope that this gesture can put us one step closer to granting more and more families the precious gift of time with their loved ones affected by this horrible disease.