We often take our health for granted. It is only when we have a serious health problem that we realize how important our health is.
Only a few months to live
Garry Holmes, father of five, had been suffering from a runny nose for a long time. Something he kept ignoring. He also had little appetite. But after a second visit to the doctor, he was told there were ‘some warning signs’.
What happened next left a family of 7 in shock. And in a race against time, they wanted to create beautiful memories together.
The 49-year-old Brit is a hardworking father and, as far as he knew, in good health. When the doctor gave him the diagnosis, he first laughed it off, in disbelief. When the antibiotics didn’t seem to work, the man went back to the doctor. It was then that he was told he had cancer.
“She turned around and said it was cancer. I laughed and said it was impossible,” the father told The Sun. “It didn’t bother me because I thought she was wrong.”
After an endoscopy and seven biopsies, the doctor confirmed his worst nightmare. Garry was told he had esophageal cancer that had spread to his liver and he had only a few months left to live. Garry said his heart was “broken in two” after the devastating news, thinking about his five children aged between 11 and 22 years old.
Garry and his partner Kirsty decided to be honest with their children and tell them about the situation. They have already decorated their house with Christmas decorations and are trying to continue with their lives as normally as possible. But the thought that the future does not look bright is constantly looming over them.
Garry said his 11-year-old daughter is practicing a dance for school. “She came to me, took my hand and sat next to me. She looked at me and said ‘you won’t be able to do much for me anymore, dad.’ And that broke me,” Garry told The Sun.
Rushing into their marriage
Garry’s girlfriend Kirsty said they had been together for 25 years and they were talking about getting married even before the diagnosis. The couple now wants to organize the wedding and Kirsty can’t wait to become “Mrs. Holmes.”
“We have been in a strange bubble since we heard the news, but we have to stay strong for the children. It feels like my world has collapsed,” Kirsty told The Sun.
“The only thing I look forward to is becoming Mrs. Holmes. I can’t wait.”
A family friend has started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help the family raise enough money so Garry’s wish to get married can be fulfilled.
We send positive thoughts and support to this strong family during these incredibly difficult times.
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