Terminally ill man records goodbye message for his girls

A father suffering from a terminal brain tumour has recorded a heartbreaking goodbye video to his young daughters.

Dad-of-two Steve Durant, 40, from Portishead, is suffering from a grade three oligoastrocytoma and has just a small chance of living past the next five years.

The marketing manager wanted to record a message to daughters Isobel, seven and Phoebe, three, because he may not be around  to see them grow up.

In the emotional clip he tells his daughters to remember the times when he held them close if they ever miss him.

Dad-of-two Steve Durant, 40, from Portishead, has recorded messages for his daughters to watch when he gets very sick with his terminal brain tumour

The video was recorded with Cancer Research UK to raise awareness for the condition.

Steve says that he made the videos so his daughters always now how much he loved them, and give them something to remember him by.

He said: ‘Unfortunately, at three and seven years old, I won’t be here for a large part of their developmental years. It’s going to be tough when we have to tell them what’s going on.

‘I plan to make a series of videos to tell them how much I love them and how much they mean to me. Give them something to look back on that isn’t going to be too painful for them.’

The father-of-two wanted Phoebe, three, and Isobel, seven, (pictured middle, left and right) to remember him in happier times

The father-of-two wanted Phoebe, three, and Isobel, seven, (pictured middle, left and right) to remember him in happier times

Steve said he knew the illness would take his life but he wanted to control how he said goodbye to his loved ones

Steve said he knew the illness would take his life but he wanted to control how he said goodbye to his loved ones

In the video he tells the little girls to ‘stick together’ and to remember him by his love for them, and not how ill he became.

Steve says in the clip: ‘You guys are all you’ve got so stick together. Take the bad with the good and just think. Remember how it felt when I put my arms around you and hold you close. 

‘If you ever need to have me there to support you then just close your eyes and remember how it felt when I put my arm around you and pulled my head into my chest and told you everything is going to be OK. 

‘If that’s the closest I can be if that’s the most I can given then hopefully that will provide you with a little bit of support.’

His wife Liza (front right) said the little girls don't fully understand the seriousness of their dad's illness

His wife Liza (front right) said the little girls don’t fully understand the seriousness of their dad’s illness

Steve urged his daughters to 'stick together' and said he hoped that their memories together would help them get through bad times

Steve urged his daughters to ‘stick together’ and said he hoped that their memories together would help them get through bad times

His wife Liza revealed that the girls have helped them get through Steve’s sickness.

She said: ‘The kids always help. Just looking at them. Especially our youngest, she can make anyone smile. Our eldest knows daddy is unwell but we don’t want to scare her.’ 

Steve was diagnosed with grade two oligoastrocytoma in April 2014 but was told the tumour was dormant.

In summer 2016 he began having seizures and was rushed to hospital, where he was told that tumour had continued to grow and was now classified as a grade three.

Steve is suffering from a grade three oligoastrocytoma and has a small chance of living past the next five years

Steve is suffering from a grade three oligoastrocytoma and has a small chance of living past the next five years

Steve said he wanted to 'give them something to look back on that isn't going to be too painful for them'

Steve said he wanted to ‘give them something to look back on that isn’t going to be too painful for them’

Only 27% of those diagnosed with this tumour will live after five years.  

Despite his condition he returned to work and began training for a half marathon, and is determined that the illness won’t hold him back.

He is now working with Cancer Research to show how a family lives with a terminal diagnosis in a series of videos.

 



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