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General News

31 January, 2025

Prognosis unites community

Nic Cahoon is preparing to make memories with his family and friends, embracing the 12 months he’s been given to live following unexpected news with his cancer diagnosis.

By Niamh Sutton

Nic Cahoon and his wife Jayde are hopeful of making the next 12 months some of the happiest in their lives. Photo supplied
Nic Cahoon and his wife Jayde are hopeful of making the next 12 months some of the happiest in their lives. Photo supplied

When Mr Cahoon travelled to Adelaide with his wife Jayde to receive treatment, he was informed he was ineligible for the potentially life saving clinical trial.

That was when his surgeon declared his condition incurable.

“As a result, my surgeon said ‘look Nic, this is it. This trial was your last hoorah’,” he said.

This news came as a shock as this timeframe was shorter than he was expecting.

“When I first got diagnosed, I knew this was going to happen anyway, but not that it would be this close,” he said.

“But it invigorated me a bit to go ‘alright, cool, time to get the things I want to get done, done’,” he said.

In 2023 he was diagnosed with stage one chondrosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer.

Despite undergoing surgery to treat the condition, more tumors were later found. The cancer has since spread to his soft tissue.

A GoFundMe was put together by a family member to assist him and his wife with medical costs and expenses while undergoing treatment, but he now hopes to spend the next few months enjoying experiences with his friends, family and travelling overseas.

“At the end of the day, if I do only have 12 months left, I want that 12 months to be surrounded with smiles, laughter, happiness and making memories. Not wallowing about what’s going to come. If in a years time, I am in hospital, I want to look back and say yeah, I gave it my all,” he said.

Mr Cahoon is planning to travel to Japan this year.

With a dream of experiencing the culture and everyday life there, it’s a trip he said has been on his bucket list since he was 10.

“As long as we get the money together, and things work out, I would love to go, I just love the culture, the media, the music, I just want the chance to be there and soak it all in,” he said.

They have already raised over $20,000.

Thankful and amazed by the generosity of the community, he said recent donations have made a huge impact on his quality of life.

“With the current cost of living, it is such hard times right now, I can’t believe that people are so kind, the fact that it has been able to bring the community together in such a way, it has been a game changer,” he said.

He appreciates each person who has helped him and his wife with supporting them in the time they have left.

“For Jayde and I, it completely changes our world, all of these things that were out of grasp, are now in our grasp, all of a sudden,” he said.

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