I was a fit and healthy surfing fanatic and father-of-two before doctors discovered a tumour on my brain. This was the tiny warning sign that I had terminal cancer

EXCLUSIVE

An Aussie father-of-two with terminal brain cancer plans to continue to live his life to the fullest in spite of his devastating diagnosis.

Kelly Smith, 49, was a strong, healthy and super-fit dad and surfer before he started experiencing persistent headaches earlier this year. 

Mr Smith, who met his wife Casey in 1995, has two kids Reef and Isla and currently lives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. 

Before his diagnosis, the 49-year-old ran a successful surfing school for 20 years on NSW’s Central Coast and worked as a surfing photographer. 

But everything changed in August when an MRI revealed a lesion on his brain with a subsequent CT scan confirming his family’s worst fears. 

A mandarin-sized tumour was located near Mr Smith’s right temporal lobe with the father-of-two booked in for urgent surgery the very next day. 

Jamie Beal, who has been best mates with Mr Smith since high school, said he was shocked to hear his long-time friend had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.

‘We’re like “What? What the f***!”. He went into surgery, optimistic and hopeful that it was benign, but it was a large tumour,’ he told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday. 

Mr Smith (left) and Mr Beal (right) have been friends since high school. They are pictured on a surfing trip in Indonesia in 2018

Mr Smith (pictured) was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma – terminal brain cancer. The average life expectancy for this disease is between three months and two years

Mr Smith has impaired vision and memory loss as a result of the surgery.

‘His vision on a bright, sunny day is like wearing sunglasses at 6pm. That’s the vision he has and it’s quite grainy and pixelated so he barely ever gets any clear vision now,’ Mr Beal said.

Mr Smith is now three weeks into radiation and chemotherapy. 

His four-week scan will determine whether the treatment has been effective or not.  

‘It’s only expected to slow things down, if at all, to give him a little bit of extra time,’ Mr Beal said. 

Neurosurgeons advised the Smith family that the average life expectancy for the aggressive disease is between three months and two years.

Mr Beal said Casey and the children are doing the best they can under the terrible circumstances but were ‘shattered’ by the news. 

‘Casey breaks down quite a lot. Even talking about it is hard for her,’ Mr Beal said.  

He decided to start a GoFundMe to help fund Mr Smith’s medical treatments, pay for clinical trials they are investigating and put towards brain cancer research. 

‘If people are having headaches, go and get yourself checked,’ he said. 

A mandarin-sized tumour (pictured) was located near Mr Smith’s right temporal lobe with the father-of-two booked in for urgent surgery the very next day

Before his diagnosis, Mr Smith (pictured) ran a successful surfing school for 20 years on NSW’s Central Coast and worked as a surfing photographer

Mr Smith applied for a clinical trial in America but was told it would cost an eye-watering USD$1million. 

He is now looking into immunotherapy after it proved successful for pathologist Professor Richard Scolyer after he was diagnosed with glioblastoma in June, 2023. 

Using their expertise in melanoma immunotherapy, Professor Scolyer, Co-Medical Director of Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) Professor Georgina Long and a team of doctors developed a world-first treatment plan for his brain cancer. 

One year after his diagnosis, Professor Scolyer’s latest MRI scan showed no reoccurrence of the tumour. 

Professor Scolyer and Professor Long were were jointly named the 2024 Australian of the Year for their groundbreaking treatment. 

Mr Beal said his friend was willing to ‘roll the dice’ because the alternative is imminent death. 

If there is any left on the GoFundMe after prioritising medical bills, Mr Smith would love to head to the United States with Casey and the kids.

‘He’s always wanted to go to New York or do a road trip in the U.S.A,’ Mr Beal said.

You can donate to Mr Smith’s GoFundMe here.