Help our dad fight pancreatic cancer

November 2024, our dad was hospitalized due to extremely high bilirubin levels. He stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks doing a lot of exams and the doctors had to put a plastic bile duct stent. He came home on December 6 and had a biopsy on December 10, the day of his 50th birthday. On December 27, the day before my 22nd birthday, he was taken to the hospital to replace the plastic stent with a metal stent because the plastic stent had migrated and caused a severe infection. The doctors told my father that if he had waited a few more days, he would have been dead. After the procedure, he came home and we spent my 22nd birthday, Christmas and New Year's Eve together as a family. It was a really difficult time for everyone, including my father. We were all very worried, upset and frustrated that the results of the biopsy were taking so long.

On January 8, we finally received the results of the biopsy, which unfortunately confirmed that the mass in the pancreas was malignant. The biopsy revealed that it was an endocrine pancreatic tumour.

Our father, Manuel, is a very active person and has a great passion for running, cycling and motorcycling. He also greatly values his job as a police officer. Unfortunately, due to cancer, he had to stop doing what he loves and that is very hard for him because he never thought something like this would happen. He loves his family unconditionally and we love him too. Me (22) and my younger sister (15) are doing our best to help both our mother and father through this difficult time. We know that my father is strong and we know that he will win this battle.

We live in Portugal, and although there is free healthcare, the waiting times are too long, and with this disease you can not wait. We want to make sure that my father receives the best medical care. He is being treated in a private clinic, but this is very expensive and we need help to pay for his appointments, upcoming surgery, hospital stays and treatments.

It's crazy how life can change in the blink of an eye. We do our best to stay positive and enjoy every moment we experience together. Despite the challenges and the emotional toll, we are determined to keep fighting alongside him. Every day we try to keep our spirits up and support our father with the strength and love he has always given us. It is overwhelming at times, but we are committed to making sure he receives the care he needs and deserves. We are confident that with the right treatment and continued support from our family and friends, my father will win this battle. We are doing everything we can to stay strong, stick together and move forward one step at a time.

We created this go fund me to help with medical expenses. The costs for private treatment, surgeries, hospital stays, and ongoing care have been overwhelming, and while we are doing everything we can, we need your help. Any contribution, no matter how small, will make a significant difference in ensuring our father gets the care he needs without delay. We are incredibly grateful for any support and kind words during this difficult time. Your generosity will allow us to focus on what truly matters—our father's health and recovery—and help us to stay strong as a family. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support.