Scott shares his brain cancer story to support others

My name is Scott, and I’d like to tell you my cancer story.

It all started back in 2016, when I was just 24. I was at a stage in my life where I wasn’t thinking much about the future. I was building my career as a chef and having fun with my mates, so life was cruising along and pretty simple. I thought the future would just take care of itself.

I’m a country guy—I love Mount Gambier. It’s where I’ve grown up, and everyone and everything I have ever known is here. So can you imagine how scary it was for me to have to fly to Adelaide for urgent surgery with one hour’s notice, to save my life?

It all started with some headaches that wouldn’t go away. Then I noticed my mood kept swinging really wildly and I couldn’t explain it. I got really scared.

It was six months before I found a doctor who took me seriously and ordered a scan. Only 60 minutes after I got the scan results, I realised I had to leave home for emergency brain surgery.

The scan showed I had a tumour the size of a grapefruit growing on my frontal lobe. They had to remove a quarter of my brain in order to save my life.

Following that operation, I was told to go home and rest, and we played a waiting game for the next three months to see if things would stabilise. But the tumour kept growing. That meant I had to leave home again and head back to Adelaide for more treatment.

Being away from home, away from loved ones, away from everyone and everything I needed at a frightening and stressful time, was really tough.

The last thing I wanted to think about was where I was going to stay, how I would get to the hospital and where my next meal was coming from. All I was thinking about—all I wanted to think about—was whether I was going to survive. Luckily, thanks to Cancer Council SA, I got the support I needed.

I went to Greenhill Lodge, where I stayed for eight weeks while I went through gruelling chemo. I didn’t know what I would find at Cancer Council SA’s supported accommodation. But I didn’t only find care, compassion, and support there. I found a home.

The way they treat everyone, and care so much at the Lodge, really did make such a difference. They drove me to treatment, cooked meals for me, and made sure I had someone to talk to. They helped me learn to take every day as it came and try and stay positive.

Cancer Council SA’s Lodges, like Greenhill Lodge, are loved by so many country people like me. Hundreds of regional South Australians have stayed there over the years. But they’re old, and they need an upgrade, so that in years to come, people like me will continue to have support when they need it most.

That’s why Cancer Council SA is building a new home at 202 Greenhill Road. For country South Australians who have travelled hundreds of kilometres to Adelaide for cancer treatment, separated from family and friends, there will be 120 rooms of comfortable, modern accommodation, and all the support services, under one roof.

The new building is months away from opening, but Cancer Council SA urgently needs funding today to ensure they can provide the vital support services which regional South Australians like me rely on so much during their stay.

I’m hoping you will join me in making a donation to Cancer Council SA’s latest appeal. Every dollar counts, and every dollar will mean more South Australians diagnosed with cancer, just like me, will get the support they need, when they need it most.

Scott

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If you have recently been diagnosed with cancer, our Cancer Council Nurses are here to help.
Get in touch today by phoning Cancer Council’s  confidential 13 11 20 information and support service or email askanurse@cancersa.org.au.

We are extremely grateful to Scott for sharing his story with us. You can show your support for Scott and the thousands of South Australians impacted by cancer.
Make a donation to our appeal here