Brave dad's birthday party to help charity
A DAD who twice beat the odds to survive cancer is celebrating his 30th birthday with a fund-raising party.
Electrician Richard Stewart aims to raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research UK at the special party on July 31. Helping him celebrate will be his wife Danielle, aged 25, and two children Dylan, aged five, and one-year-old Sonny, the son he thought he might not be able to have after undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Richard, of Broadacres, Bailiff Bridge, was just 25 when he was given the devastating news that he had testicular cancer in March 2005. He underwent an operation and three gruelling courses of chemotherapy before doctors gave him the all-clear.
"He was unable to work much during that time so I went back to work while Dylan was a baby. Because Richard was home a lot and had time to spare, he and Dylan are very close and have a special bond.
"Richard was so brave and positive during that time. In a way I think the people close to him struggled more than he did – he just got on with it."
Eventually Richard felt well enough to return to work at Hurst Building Services, Bradford, and his fiancee Danielle decided to go ahead with plans to book their wedding. But, just a few months later, the couple were given the devastating news that the cancer had returned to Richard's right lung.
"It was a very anxious time. Obviously Richard was thrilled to have been given the all-clear but I always had this dread that the cancer might return. But you have to stay positive and look ahead – arranging the wedding was part of that. We did not know for sure whether we would get married or what would happen but we carried on making plans."
In February 2006 doctors gave Richard the all-clear for the second time. Richard and Danielle were married in August 2006 and their son Dylan, then two, was one of the guests. But at the time they were trying to come to terms with the fact that they might not be able to have more children without the help of fertility treatment.
"We were told that because of Richard's treatment it would be highly unlikely we could have another child without fertility treatment. I was upset about it but I decided that, if that was how it was going to be, I would concentrate on my career," said Danielle.
She had signed up for a midwifery course at Leeds University and booked an IVF appointment – then she found she was pregnant.
"My mum suspected before me. I had been feeling pretty lousy but, because I didn't expect to have more children without IVF, I had no idea I might be expecting. It was a massive shock but I was thrilled.
"Everyone in the family was so pleased because we knew it meant that Richard had fought so hard against cancer and was better."
(Full story in the Brighouse Echo 30/4/2009) It was a lovely surprise and made us focus on the future.”
Sonny was born on St Valentine’s Day 2008 and for the past few months the Stewart family have been planning the charity dinner – Richard’s Ball – at the Holiday Inn, Clifton, the same venue as their wedding reception.
“I decided to hold a party for Richard because it is a special birthday, especially with all that has happened, but then we decided to use the occasion to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Richard was only 25 and I was only 21 when he was diagnosed and we just didn’t know where to get help. No-one could believe that such a healthy young man could get cancer. Richard hopes he will be able to raise awareness as well as funds for research.”
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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