My story is about my eldest son Mark

 

This event took place from 06/23/2020 to 03/12/2022

 

The Discovery

Mark worked for a company dismantling and recycling commercial batteries. As this was a toxic environment in which to work a comprehensive health check was carried out by the company annually. In June 2020 after a company health check Mark was referred to his doctor and subsequently to a cancer specialist where he was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer and In November 2020, he underwent a Whipple Procedure.

 

This is My Story

Mark had an extremely outgoing and adventurous spirit. He was also very young at heart and loved visiting theme parks and trying out all the thrill rides. During his five years at College, Mark joined the Army cadets and also entered the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program where he gained his bronze and silver awards. He subsequently joined the army leaving home and going to live in New South Wales some three and half hours flying time and 3500 kilometres away, making visits extremely difficult and expensive. After leaving the army Mark joined the battery recycling company. We always worried about this job as commercial batteries are composed of numerous dangerous materials and chemicals and which we often wondered were in part responsible for him developing Pancreatic Cancer.

Three years ago, in what would prove to be a cruel twist of fate, Mark donated his prized guitar to be used in a WA Heart Foundation fund-raising auction.

In his final week’s Mark put together a bucket list including a trip to Queensland’s Gold Coast, where he planned to visit Sea World, Dream World and Movie World. Alas this wasn’t to eventuate as the disease rapidly progressed rendering him incapable of any kind of travel.
As a lasting tribute to Mark’s memory, a music video has now been produced. Written by my friend, his song, ‘Impressions of You,’ is now on YouTube and other streaming platforms and has been accepted by the Pancare Foundation of Australia as their Anthem.  Rest in Peace Mark, your memory lives on.

 

 

The Impact of Time

• From June 2020 to November is just a relatively short six months. Had his diagnosis been even six months earlier then Mark’s chances of survival may have been dramatically increased.
• Our outlook on time has been greatly influenced by the sudden impact of Mark’s passing. At this time COVID had spread across Australia and our state of Western Australia was ‘locked-out’ of the rest of Australia resulting in closed borders and no permissions to travel between states. At this time, we hadn’t seen our son for two years.
• As mentioned, there was no early detection.
• In hindsight and with the threat of COVID looming my wife and I, 83 and 81 respectively, would have love ‘the gift of time’ for at least the opportunity of seeing and being with our son before he passed.