BRAIN TUMOUR MAN TO BECOME FATHER
Couple are ‘over the moon’ to be expecting their first child
A MAN diagnosed with a brain tumour, which he was told could kill him within seven years, is to become a dad for the first time.
Jack Donovan and his girlfriend Amy Prothero had their world torn apart following Jack’s diagnosis – but the couple are “over the moon” after finding out they are expecting their first child, a baby boy.
And for Amy, their son will be “a bit of Jack that can stick around when he is gone”, while Jack said he knows “Amy will be the best mum in the world”.
Jack, 28, admitted he is “pretty nervous” about becoming a dad.
“I wanted kids eventually but I did not mean as soon as this,” he said. “I think maybe it is supposed to happen.
“I did not expect to be having a child now. But they said I might not be able to have one in a few years, so it is nice to go through that experience.”
The couple’s son is due on November 24.
“They have worked out all the chromosomes so they can tell what gender it is,” Jack said.
“We did that because it would have told us whether there was anything wrong with the baby and there is not, which is great.”
Because Jack does not have a chromosome called 1P19Q, his cancer treatment is not as effective – meaning his remaining life expectancy has halved from about 15 years to seven.
Speaking about the pregnancy, Jack said: “Once they said everything was fine we were over the moon.”
He remains hopeful that another treatment may be developed.
“You never know, maybe one day before it’s too late they might bring something out,” he said.
“But I know Amy will be the best mum in the world.”
Jack, who works in aquarium installation, is still holding down his job.
“I’m still working part time at the moment,” he said.
“Sometimes I do four days a week but I get really bad.”
Amy said she was not feeling nervous. “It’s more a case of excitement.” The couple, who live in Melbourne, Australia, but are from Cardiff, are planning to move back to Wales next month.
They had hoped to make their lives in Australia but since Jack fell ill they have been advised he would be unlikely to qualify for a visa.
“It’s bitter-sweet because we know we cannot really stay because of new visa requirements,” Amy said.
“We knew we would not be able to stay as of next year, so that was a sad moment when we realised that, but about a month later we found out I was pregnant.
“If we go home now, we are going home for a happy reason, so we took control of it to put a positive spin on it.”
The couple said they have spoken about what will happen in the future.
“People don’t get to have that discussion if people get hit by a bus or something,” Amy said.
“So in a way we feel prepared com- pared to other people.
“The hard thing is having a little one and knowing he cannot watch him grow up.
“That’s probably harder than anything else.”
A fundraising page has been set up to help Jack achieve a bucket list. To help visit https://www. gofundme. com/ jack- donovansbucket-list for him