I am dying of cancer and I need your help

Hi I'm Clinton. I am an extremely private person. I feel a cocktail of embarrassment, shame, sadness and disbelief that I’m writing here. But that disappears pretty quickly.

You see, I have a young, sensitive, creative and intelligent daughter that I want to support through this sometimes crazy world. I want to hold her hand and be a safe port in the storm so to speak. But that dream is slipping away.

I want to spare my wife the grief that will come from my premature death. A grief she will try to manage whilst simultaneously undertaking the overwhelming task of helping my daughter with her grief.

I also want to spare my parents the horrendous situation of losing another son before their time. I lost my brother, and best mate, a few years ago in tragic circumstances and I now witness the fear, disbelief and sorrow writ large on my parents’ faces.

About my cancer

Around two years ago I found out I had a rare cancer, called sub acral melanoma, and that it had spread across my body. It’s not a melanoma that’s produced from sun exposure but a genetic misadventure that randomly occurs. It’s not hereditary, thankfully.

From the moment I found out, I have been fighting. I have been disciplined, focused and driven to live. I have used exercise, good food, clear mind and optimism as my foundation. I took whatever surgery or treatment they said I should. I did all this joyfully. Gratefully.

I dedicated my effort for my family and friends. To show I didn’t back away. And for a time, I did beat it. I had clear air. I could plan for the future again. We were all back to living fully. I even returned to work to an amazing job.

And yet. And yet, I seem to have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. My cancer has aggressively returned. I am now classified untreatable. There are no trials. There are no treatments. The cancer is moving fast. Soon I will be classified terminal. I don’t know how long I have but was told they can only confidently predict I will be here for this Christmas.

I still have one chance

Globally, we are on the cusp of amazing medical breakthroughs. My oncological team have suggested there is a treatment with proven results in the United States. It has been developed and perfected since 2013 and it works amazingly well. However, because of some quirks to the healthcare system it’s not in Australia just yet. And won’t be in time for me.

I need your help. Now.

Time is of the essence. My cancer is spreading and whilst I am relatively fit there is great hope for success. But it needs to happen over the next 12 weeks or I am in trouble. It will truly be the end of the road for me.

I need to raise a minimum of $550,000 to get this treatment. After nearly two years fighting cancer we are now financially tapped out. We are now forced to turn to our community and their communities to help us.

I know it’s a lot. And some may ask am I worth it? I can’t answer that. But I know my daughter, my wife, and my parents all deserve the chance. My friends, former colleagues and community, I believe, benefit from me being around. Most of all, I love life. I live joyfully. And still have much to contribute.

If you feel moved to donate thank you. And if you can share this amongst your community, thank you.

Regardless of the outcome, I want to show my daughter that I lived with a sense of optimism about the world. And when cancer came I fought hard. For her.

Live well.

Clinton