Meet Paul
They say bad things come in threes, and it was certainly true for Paul Millar.
In hotel quarantine last August, Paul got news that his house was being sold, his partner had broken her ankle, and the lump that he’d found on his neck three months earlier was cancer.
“It was a horrible day,” he says. “But I think that experience and the effect that it’s had between then and now, has saved the rest of my life.”
Paul is one of thousands of Australians to access specialist cancer care at a Chris O’Brien Lifehouse rural and regional clinic.
A fly-in fly-out worker in the construction industry, Paul first noticed the lump on his neck while on a ten-week stint in South Australia. A local GP encouraged him to travel more than two hours to the nearest city for a scan. “And thank god I did,” says Paul.
Back home in Coffs Harbour and with a diagnosis of tongue cancer, the father of three visited the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse clinic in Port Macquarie. “It was fantastic having it so close to home,” he says.
After meeting head and neck cancer specialist Prof Carsten Palme, Paul was reassured. “He said we see a lot of this sort of thing, and it’s very treatable.”
Paul underwent surgery in Sydney, and receives follow-up care in Port Macquarie. He was impressed by the collaboration between members of his specialist team. “The fact that everybody is on the same wavelength just makes it so much easier.”
His experience also led to a diagnosis of depression, which Paul believes had been in the background for a few years. He now visits a psychologist to help work through some of the challenges he’s faced.
Paul with his family
“Going through cancer has really crystallised what’s important to me. My focus now is to be the best father and the best partner I can be,” he says.
To the donors who ensure access to life-saving cancer care for rural and regional patients like him, Paul is incredibly grateful. “Thank you,” he says. “Keep doing what you’re doing. You don’t realise just how many people you’re helping.”
