A GLASGOW man suffering from an incurable cancer has made it his dying wish to coin in cash for medics who have tried to save his life.
Dove White is determined to do his bit “before his time is up” as he continues to battle Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, a rare illness which affects the neck and head.
The Whiteinch father-of-two was first diagnosed just six days before Christmas in 2016 and has since undergone a lengthy operation at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, in Glasgow, and visited specialists at the Christie Hospital, in Manchester.
Now, Dove, who hasn’t been given a timescale on how long he has left, has launched a fundraising drive for the English medical hub in his bid to ensure others do not go through the same as him.
“I have a rare incurable cancer called Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma in my lungs and would like to help as many people as I can before my time is up,” the 40-year-old said.
“I remember asking the doctor how long it was before it would become a problem and she told me: ‘It has become a problem now. Now is the time to worry.’.
“If I can get money to them, so the people who have this after me won’t face the same situation, that would mean the world to me.
“There have been ups and downs. I’m usually a positive guy.
“It is what it is and I have accepted whatever is going to happen.
“I want to help people. But, yes, there have been the emotional ups and downs.
“Helping people is what makes me happy and if I can do that for other people it would mean so much to me.
“In some sort of way, it would make them happy, the people who have helped me.
“We just don’t know enough about this type of cancer yet, so fingers crossed it gives them that step further and closer.”
Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma is one of rarest forms of cancer in the world but still affects around five million people in the UK every year.
The disease affects the salivary glands, which Dove had removed in his initial operation in January 2017.
It also impacts sight, smell, and taste.
“They removed the growth just millimeters below my brain and I’ve since lost my upper jaw, the hearing in my right ear – I’ve got a hearing aid in that one – and my taste and smell,” Dove, who used to run his own cleaning business in Glasgow, said.
“It’s in my lungs now and it is growing. It’s a slow moving cancer.
“I’m currently waiting on word from another scan to see what treatment there is and have entered clinical trials for around a year or two.
“It doesn’t usually respond to chemotherapy and there’s around a five or 10% chance of anything working.
“They went in through my neck and took away my salivary glands during the operation.
“They’ve been keeping an eye on it and started off at 2mm and is getting bigger and bigger.”
When he was first diagnosed, Dove and his wife Sarah made the decision to wait until after the festive season to tell kids Keira, 15, and 14-year-old Ryan.
The family has, however, been a source of constant support for Dove.
“They have always been there for me, every step of the way,” he said. “Sarah has been my rock.
“It was hard trying to tell them when I first got diagnosed.
“It was six days before Christmas and I thought we would leave it until after the New Year so they could enjoy their Christmas.
“They’ve been really good.”
To contribute to Dove’s fundraiser and to read more about his story, visit Help Dove get his wings on Facebook and click on the JustGiving link.
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