A cancer survivor who was robbed of his nose, cheek and eye has been fitted with a facial prosthetic – that he has to stick on with glue.
Sylvain Pharand was told he had just six months to live when doctors told him a cyst in his left nostril was sinus and lymph node cancer.
However, after a gruelling decade-long battle that involved around 125 sessions of radiotherapy, the father, from Montreal, Quebec, beat his cancer.
But the 55-year-old, who once had a gaping hole in his face, has been left without a nose, left eye and cheek because of his traumatic ordeal.
He was fitted with a facial prosthetic two years ago, but the heavy piece held on with glue regularly falls-off, causing him to feel ostracised in public.
Cruel strangers pointing at Mr Pharand has left him preferring to stay at home until a new prosthetic is made that will be held on with magnets.
Sylvain Pharand, from Montreal, Quebec, was devastated after it was revealed a small cyst in his left nostril was sinus and lymph node cancer (pictured with his new facial prosthetic)
Mr Pharand was diagnosed with the deadly cancer on his wedding anniversary to wife Marie- Josée Fréchette in 2008 (pictured before his cancer battle)
Speaking for the first time about his traumatic ordeal, Mr Pharand said: ‘Today, ten years later, I have no trace of cancer, but the road has been a rollercoaster.’
He added: ‘I had a cyst in the left nostril, which I wanted to get removed as it was uncomfortable when breathing.
‘After being told I had six months to live I was devastated at the time, however, I’ve always been a fighter and I decided to fight and live instead of letting it kill me.
‘As they could not give me anymore radiotherapy treatments, they had to go with operations.’
Mr Pharand was diagnosed with the deadly cancer on his wedding anniversary to wife Marie- Josée Fréchette in 2008.
He said: ‘For me it was more like circles on pictures. I knew it wasn’t normal, but I wasn’t able to tell how dangerous or advanced the tumor was.’
Mr Pharand – whose treatment stopped last year when no more tumours were found – had his left nostril removed first in 2010 because of breathing difficulties.
It was rebuilt using skin from his forehead, but then a new tumour appeared on the exterior of the rebuilt portion.
Mr Pharand – whose treatment stopped last year when no more tumours were found – had his left nostril removed first in 2010 because of breathing difficulties (pictured, a tumour on his nose after he had his left nostril removed and rebuilt)
Surgeons removed his whole nose in 2012. But, again, another tumour appeared inside the hole close to his eye (pictured after undergoing a skin graft to cover the hole on his face)
Mr Pharand said: ‘Today, ten years later, I have no trace of cancer, but the road has been a rollercoaster’ (pictured after they removed his left nostril in 2010)
Surgeons decided to remove his whole nose in 2012. But, again, another tumour appeared inside the hole close to his eye.
Two years later, in 2014, he had his left cheek and left eye removed in a desperate attempt to rid him of the cancer.
After that, Mr Pharand underwent a 12-hour operation to put a skin flap to hide the affected part of his face – using skin from his left thigh.
Mr Pharand said: ‘I am currently at the state of rebuilding my cheek and eye with skin from my legs and an artificial prosthesis.
‘At first, everything went well. However, the prosthetic was heavier than they thought and it did not hold well with glue.
‘They are currently working on a different method to have it hold in place, probably with magnets or screws.’
He was fitted with a facial prosthetic two years ago, but the heavy piece held on with glue regularly falls-off, causing him to feel ostracised in public
Mr Pharand said: ‘Some people are very kind and understanding. ‘However, some constantly stare at me, making me feel uncomfortable to a point where I sometimes don’t want to go out’ (pictured after his whole nose was removed in 2012)
After a large portion of his face was removed, Mr Pharand had a 12-hour operation to put a skin flap to hide the affected part of his face – using skin from his left thigh (before the skin graft)
He added: ‘Before the prosthetic, I had to wear a bandage covering the hole, which was not aesthetic at all and was irritating my skin.’
Mr Pharand – whose life was altered when he had dentures fitted – said doctors ‘are not 100 per cent sure’ how his prosthetic will proceed still at the moment.
He added: ‘As for the dentures, I was very limited in what I could eat before them. Sometimes I had to put my food in the blender in order to eat in a balanced manner.’
Speaking about feeling ostracised in public, Mr Pharand said: ‘Some people are very kind and understanding.
‘However, some constantly stare at me, making me feel uncomfortable to a point where I sometimes don’t want to go out.’
He added: ‘Before the prosthetic, I had to wear a bandage covering the hole, which was not aesthetic at all and was irritating my skin’ (pictured with his 21-year-old son Sebastien in 2017)
Mr Pharand – whose life was altered when he had dentures fitted – said doctors ‘are not 100 per cent sure’ how his prosthetic will proceed still at the moment (pictured after his left eye and part of his cheek were removed in 2014)
He is now fundraising for a hair transplant, which is not covered by the public health care system in Canada (pictured after his left nostril was removed in 2010)
Mr Pharand, who has a 21-year-old son called Sebastien, is also raising money to fulfil his dream of going to Hawaii with his family (pictured with his wife Marie-Josee in 2016)
He is now fundraising for a hair transplant from his gruelling radiotherapy, which is not covered by the public health care system in Canada.
He said: ‘I wish I could have a hair transplant, I lost all my hair in the front because of the radiotherapy and brachytherapy.
‘Unfortunately, this treatment is very expensive, and I do not have the money to pay for it.’
Mr Pharand, who has a 21-year-old son called Sebastien, is also raising money to fulfil his dream of going to Hawaii with his family.
He was unable to travel during his cancer battle amid fears he may be prone to catching an infection.
Anyone wanting to donate can do so here.