The time we had with him to say goodbye was some of the most difficult but also the most beautiful times in his cancer journey. If I had one more chance to say anything to my Dad, it would be ‘thank you for his love, compassion & humility.’
Diane
Everything was going well, including having Dad home for Christmas. But in April 2017, near the end of his treatment cycle, a new tumour appeared. This was a turn in the road that we had not expected. This tumour was untreatable.
I will always remember the head of oncology taking my Dad’s hand and, with tears in her eyes and so much compassion, telling him there were no further options available, apart from palliative care.
Over the next four weeks our family laughed and cried together. We heard stories from Dad of his life and his childhood. We heard new stories and we reminisced over the old ones. Mum and Dad opened their home up to all the people that meant the world to our Dad - but more importantly, all the people that Dad meant the world to. The time we had with him to say goodbye was some of the most difficult but also the most beautiful times in his cancer journey.
If I had one more chance to say anything to my Dad, it would be ‘thank you for his love, compassion & humility.’
30 Stories for 30 Years
In 2020 the Cancer Society celebrated the 30th anniversary of Daffodil Day.
It also marked a 30 year relationship with ANZ as the Principal Sponsor of Daffodil Day. We want to thank the team at ANZ for their amazing support.
To acknowledge this we found 30+ people to tell their story. These stories talk about the generosity of everyday New Zealanders making a difference for people with cancer. They talk about the effect of cancer on people and on whānau, they talk about hope, and they talk about the work we do here at the Cancer Society.
