Angus MacAllister
Angus MacAllister’s favourite thing to do these days is sit by the campfire in his backyard on starry nights. It’s what he was doing when the Tragically Hip played their last show on Aug. 20. MacAllister sat with his wife, Johanna, and their 10-year-old son, Fynn. The trio ate s’mores and bobbed their heads to Gord Downie’s familiar voice. They watched the stars as Downie sang “Bobcaygeon.”
MacAllister says he was “blown away” when he found out that Downie has the same cancer he has. Weeks before, the family had been to the Hip’s tour stop in London. MacAllister’s condition had worsened since the family bought the tickets in May. It was becoming harder to speak and he could no longer walk, so Johanna called the ticket vendor and it gave the family seats that would accommodate a wheelchair.
They caught Downie’s eye as he moved slowly across the stage at the end of the show, peering at what felt like every face in the room.
MacAllister was diagnosed in March 2014, at 44, after he began to have trouble speaking. He’s had two brain surgeries since. After the first one, doctors told the couple the tumour could come back within 18 to 24 months.
“Though we knew the seriousness of the situation, you always have a bit of denial,” says Johanna, 40. MacAllister had returned to work a month after, but “25 months later, in April, it came back.” Almost a week after the second surgery, the cancer showed signs it was growing back.
Now, the family is preparing to move to Halifax, where Johanna’s family lives and can help support them.
They’ll still enjoy the little things, she says, like the stars, revealing themselves one at a time.
Thursday, MacAllister’s most recent MRI showed signs the cancer had shrunk slightly, Johanna says.