Background
In May 2005, Danny Porter was diagnosed with ACC (Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma), a form of cancer so rare that most cancer charities don’t fund research into it – the benefits to the wider public being deemed too small.
Having requested a scan due to a small but persistent tingling in his right cheek (which he thought, being captain of Sheffield RUFC, was most probably nerve damage from a rugby injury), the shock of the diagnosis couldn’t have been greater.
31 years old, his first son born just weeks earlier, fit, active, happy at home and work, suddenly his world had been turned upside down.
As is the case when cancer is diagnosed, Danny was forced to come to terms with the news very quickly. His cancer was rare, but luckily it was operable locally in Sheffield Hallamshire Hospital. But the operation wouldn’t be simple.
Due to the inaccessibility of the tumour, the surgeon would have to access it from the top of Dan’s head. This would involve a ‘brain lift’ further complicating the procedure. It would also involve the loss of his right eye and indeed most of the bone structure in the right hand side of his face including much of the roof of his mouth.
With the backing of his partner, parents and other family and friends, Dan opted to take his cancer on. He would have the operation (itself a 24 hour procedure with only a 50% probability of success). He would have the radiotherapy treatment afterwards at Weston Park hospital is Sheffield. He would come to terms with his new disability. He would beat this.
Five years on and Danny Porter is fit, active, happy at home and work.
A second son was born in 2007, he married his long term partner, Kerry, in 2008. Through a combination of determination, positive thinking, support and the remarkable skills of all his surgeons and consultants at Sheffield & Hallamshire Hospital Trust, Danny Porter enjoys the same thrills and frustrations of everyday life as any other family man.
Dan has a philosophy that it is not what life throws at you, but how you deal with it that shapes your life.
They say you should enjoy every minute, because you don’t know how long you’ve got. Thanks to the remarkable professionals who provided his treatment, a great support network and his own amazing, positive determination, this year on 23rd June Danny Porter will have enjoyed 6,573,600 of them since his operation.
The Danny Porter Foundation
Immediately following his operation and recovery Dan, understandably, wanted to show his gratitude to the people who had treated him so well. A charity rugby match, attended by over 2000 spectators, was organised between a Dan Porter XV and a side combining the players of Sheffield’s two rugby union clubs. Dan’s team included England World Cup winning captain Martin Johnson, professionals including Neil Back, Tim Stimpson, Freddie Tuilagi and a selection of Dan’s friends. Through the match and the following dinner and auction of memorabilia a total of £20,000 was raised for Weston Park Hospital and Neurocare.
As life settled back down to normal routine for Dan he continued to help people when the opportunity arose. The odd speaking engagement was fulfilled with the fee being a donation to a cancer charity. He also met with several patients facing similar procedures to try to help them rationalise thier situation, support them and help them understand that even though they may be left with a very obvious disability, it need not impact on their everyday life.
As the fifth anniversary of his operation approached his thoughts again turned to some kind of charity event to celebrate the occasion. The idea of a sponsored cycle ride was mooted and “From Surgeon to Surgery” was conceived.
Sitting down and discussing his idea with the people who had helped organise the rugby match five years earlier, primarily his father Dave, mother Eiieen, best friend Tim and sister and brother-in-law Claire and Stuart, thoughts turned to who he should be raising money for. It was obvious that he would again want to support Weston Park and Neurocare but now, five years on, so many people had helped in so many ways and he had so much experience to share that the idea of The Danny Porter Foundation was born.
Supporting the charities that provide research and treatment to cancer patients and survivors is obvious and necessary, as is the support for Weston Park which has continued to grow as a cancer centre and Neurocare who do such great work raising funds to provide state of the art equipment for operations such as Dan’s. But the success of his recovery owes more than to just the excellent treatment he received both during and after his operation.
Dan was lucky to be surrounded by an extensive group of family and friends. He had visitors night and day to support him through the difficult post-op period as his brain ‘settled’ and he learned to walk and function again. Support through the demoralising rounds of radiotherapy. Whenever his partner wanted to visit, somebody made themselves available to look after their young son. Friends and family helped at home as Kerry adapted to looking after a convalescing Dan and a three month old baby. And everybody was lucky that the operation and recovery could take place right in his home city, practically on his doorstep.
But what happens if you’re not that lucky? What if, on top of the blow of learning you have a debilitating cancer or the urgent need of neuro-surgery (or, as in Dan’s case both) and you don’t have such an extensive support network available to you? What if to receive your treatment you have to travel miles? That means visitors have to travel miles too, as opposed to being able to just drop in.
The Danny Porter Foundation believes that to successfully battle cancer you of course need the best medical care available but that your recovery can benefit greatly from positive support. It’s one thing to be positive and defy the odds with everybody you know behind you and showing their support, but another to face the challenge alone, or with family and friends who are unable to give as much support as they would like due to location, financial concerns or other barriers.
