In 2017 Russell found blood in his stool and went to the GP to get checked out, but his concerns were brushed off as hemorrhoids. In September 2022 Russell began experiencing severe abdominal pain and was often passing nothing but blood and mucus. Russell’s wife Rachael rushed him to the emergency department and, following a colonoscopy, the doctors found a tumour the size of a grapefruit obstructing Russell’s bowel. The cancer had already spread to his liver and lymphatic system.
Russell was diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer and given 12 months to live.
Rachael said Russell never lost hope in beating the statistics and fought hard to never give up. But sadly, the chemotherapy stopped working in August 2023. The cancer had spread to his spine and started causing crippling nerve pain.
By Christmas 2023 Russell had to break the awful news to his three young children that he wouldn’t be coming home from the hospital.
Devastatingly, Russell passed away on the 4th January 2024, aged just 36, leaving behind his childhood sweetheart and three daughters, Ashton, 6, Hallie, 4, and Josie, 2.
Rachael is now pleading for others to fight for their health, hoping her husband’s story could help save someone else’s life.
“You really do have to advocate for yourself and if you think something’s wrong, go and find the cause – don’t just allow the doctors to give you a guess diagnosis,” she said.
Just before he was diagnosed, Russell, who was a cabinetmaker, began a massive project to renovate the backyard of their family home. Friends of the family have set up a GoFundMe page to help the family complete the project. You can find out more and donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-needed-for-mother-and-young-daughters
Thank you for sharing Russell’s story with us Rachael, we are so grateful.