DYING MAN’S WISH FOR SON His selfless act to pay for treatment that may help teenager
Inspiring duo hoping to help each other through a tough time
CORRIE Mischlewski and his son Lachlan Barclay are preparing for the fight of their lives.
Corrie is battling a diagnosis of terminal cancer, while 19-year-old Lachlan was recently told he had multiple sclerosis.
Their inspiring story is one of mateship, family and being there for one another in the toughest of times.
Despite potentially having weeks to live, Mr Mischlewski is setting his sights on raising money for his son to get treatment overseas and for a trip to Melbourne that could prolong his own life.
“I have got a lot of fight left,” he said.
“I need to live to save my son.”
CORRIE Mischlewski may only have weeks to live, but his priority is the life of his son.
Despite going through an intense round of chemotherapy, Mr Mischlewski’s wish is to ensure his son Lachlan Barclay gets the overseas treatment he needs for multiple sclerosis.
His son’s best shot at a better quality of life, unfortunately, lies with medical physicians in Sweden and Russia.
The 19-year-old and his father were diagnosed around the same time with conditions that rocked their world, but the duo found comfort in each other in such a tough time.
Lachlan suffered a number of health scares including losing sight in one of his eyes before eventually being told he had MS.
But his father was there for him at every step.
“He is pretty much my best friend,” Mr Barclay said.
Mr Mischlewski said just months before his own diagnosis, he was a healthy man.
But that all changed earlier this year when he was told he had terminal metastasized urothelial cancer.
“I just won’t give up, I know there is something out there that can save me.
“I really want to be around for Lachlan and support him.
“But things have changed and he has become the stronger one in the family.”
From his bed in the oncology ward of the Toowoomba Hospital, the 43-year-old reflected on the times he remembers fondly with his son.
What comes to mind immediately are the bonding moments over a day’s fishing on the coast.
“I would teach him how to catch fish and the worms just like how the fisherman taught me,” Mr Mischlewski said.
“Hopefully he can pass this on to his kids.
“I need to get myself well and prolong my life so I can help him. My son is the most important thing in the word to me.”
The pair has started a GoFundMe campaign called “the fight of our lives” that has raised more than $3000 at the time of print.
I NEED TO GET MYSELF WELL AND PROLONG MY LIFE SO I CAN HELP HIM. MY SON IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORD TO ME.
CORRIE MISCHLEWSKI