Brad's Story

My name is Brad and my partner’s name is Melissa, our family was directly affected by pancreatic cancer with my dad succumbing to it after battling it for just over a year and passed away in Aug 2014. Just before my dad was diagnosed, a very close friend of ours mother died to the terrible illness and I thought during that time how hard it must have been for them, then two months later I was in same the boat as my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

My dad loved George Benson - the blues/jazz singer ( famous hits on broadway/ gimmie the nite). I bought tickets for dad and I to go see George at the Palais Theatre, but what dad didn’t know is that I managed for dad to meet George after the concert backstage. I told the tour manager that my dad was battling cancer and that it would really put a smile on my dad’s face if he could meet his idol. They were so hopeful and they organised it for me. It was the happiest day of my life and also Dad’s.

My dad beat most odds and lived passed a year. He managed to still go on interstate trips, he loved going to Crown to play bingo. My mum and him made some close friends during that time. At the time my brother was living overseas with his wife and he regularly came down to see dad. The last time he came down dad was doing well, then within a couple of weeks of him leaving dad went downhill fast and was only given days to live. My Dad was in hospital but not really responsive. We told dad to hold on as my brother and his wife were on there way from London. Finally my brother and his wife made it and got to see dad, even though dad’s eyes were closed and he couldn’t talk we knew he could hear. Two hours later our Dad passed away.

Dad held on when every cell in his body was giving up on him he waited for all of us to be together.