Dennis - Go Grey in May Day 8

Each day in conjunction with Go Grey for May, I’m sharing incredible stories of our community of Brain Cancer Warriors. Buy a T shirt, Beanie or wear an old grey t shirt to support the movement around Brain Cancer. 

My Dads name was Dennis Franklin.

He was born on the 18th of Feb 1958 and passed away on the 3rd of July 2007. He was diagnosed in late may 2005 (I’m pretty sure) after a few days of feeling off and having headaches. My mum woke up to him having a seizure in the middle of the night. He went to Geelong Hospital and had CT and/or MRI and then they sent him straight to the Alfred. He had surgery a day or two later where they did a biopsy, and was confirmed malignant immediately and had as much removed as possibly. He had radiation in Geelong, and Chemo in the form of a tablet. I was 13 at the time he was diagnosed, my little sister 9 and little brother 3. We live in Geelong and all my mums family in Victoria, but my dads family live in WA. So we moved in 2006 so he could spend the rest of his life with them, and so my Aunty and cousins could help look after him and us kids while mum still went to work.

He was on medical emergency at the Alfred which he loved, he had two eps that he was included in.

I wanted to say. I have followed you for a while now and I am in awe at your strength and bravery. I know how hard it can be, but I can’t imagine losing my partner and my kids father. It is a terrible realisation as it takes the naivety out of the way we live our lives. The worst case happened to us so now everything is immediately the worst case. I struggle with anxiety, and take medication too which I couldn’t function without. I don’t think it’s obvious to me even after 14 years, how much this impacted me.