Sick father’s support ‘amazing’

A Pilbara father has been left stunned by the support he has received from the local community after being diagnosed with stage three cancer.

A Go Fund Me page set up to help Port Hedland resident Walter Smith after he was diagnosed with brain cancer last month has received more than $7000 in its first week.

The diagnosis came after Mr Smith had an operation on June 24 to remove a tumour on his brain.

Mr Smith travelled to Perth for seven weeks of daily radiation and chemotherapy and will be unable to work for six months.

He said the hardest part of the treatment was being away from his three children, Storm, 9, Savanna, 7, and Shelby, 6.

“The treatment will be hard, that’s probably the hardest part, being away from the kids is something I’m struggling with,” he said.

“We’re down in Perth at the moment doing seven weeks of radiation, and then three weeks after that, I will start the chemo, which is oral.

“Hopefully, that will be a little easier on the body.”

The page that raised $3500 in the first 24 hours currently sits at $7190, with $20,000 the target.

Mr Smith said the diagnosis was like a smack in the mouth, but the community’s support had been fantastic.

Mr Smith said it was stunning the number of people in Port Hedland that had gone through cancer. “The support they can give you is amazing,” he said.

“What people have done for us already has just been wow, it blew us away, friends, and family being that supportive has just been amazing.” Mr Smith said his workplace had been supportive during the process.

“We put an application in so they can help us and have been really supportive as well and making the journey a bit easier,” he said.