SYMONS FAMILY HEARTACHE 'We'll miss Samuel FOREVER'
Samuel Symons was a wonderful young man, says his heartbroken mum Elly
Just 24 hours after her oldest son’s tragic death, Elly Symons wants the world to know about his remarkable achievements.
“Samuel overcame so many obstacles and was still able to lead a normal happy life despite having had cancer for 24 of 27 years,” reveals Elly, fighting back tears.
“He was stoic, determined and hilarious. Samuel went to university, travelled, worked and recently won a volunteer’s award from the Victorian Minister for Health for his cancer advocacy work. He was very proud of that.”
Brave and beautiful Samuel lost his battle against an aggressive glioma brain tumour just last week. His entire family, including his dad, TV and radio star Red Symons, were by his side. Samuel was first diagnosed with cancer at age four, when doctors found a brain tumour.
At the age of 11, he also fought off thyroid cancer, and when he was 26, he developed a new brain tumour called a glioblastoma multiforme.
LIVING HIS LIFE
“It’s rare to have two gliomas, but the extraordinary thing was he lived life as ordinarily as possible,” Elly says. “We didn’t treat him like ‘the sick kid’. He had to do the dishes and he watched the Blues [AFL team Carlton] every week with his best friend. They were always losing, but he never gave up on them. He wasn’t a quitter.”
Elly and Samuel’s younger brothers Raphael, 25, and Joel, 20, were always exceptionally close – a bond which only deepened during Samuel’s final illness.
“They were constantly with him and at his bedside in his last few weeks,” Elly says.
“We were all with him. The last six weeks were especially hard because towards the end he was suffering. As surreal as this is, it’s kind of a relief to know he’s at peace now.”
On the evening of the day he died, Samuel’s “big, fat, extended Greek family” and his “wonderful” friends gathered at Elly’s home to remember their special boy.
“We actually had a lovely night,” Elly says with a smile. “We played Settlers of Catan – Samuel’s favourite board game, ate pizzas and listened to his favourite song, Tom Petty’s, Learning To Fly. It’s hard for me to listen to – but it’s a comfort too.”
Elly says recalling Samuel’s quirky sense of humour will help her through the dark days that lie ahead. “He was so funny. He once dressed up as Abraham Lincoln for a ’60s party because he said the invite didn’t specify that it was the 1960s rather than the 1860s,” she chuckles. “He made us laugh all the time.”
Tragically, Samuel’s laughter has been silenced way too soon. Elly says that losing her son still feels “surreal” even though she knew he didn’t have long.
“I still feel like he’s in the house with us. I’m struggling to believe that we’ve woken up for two mornings now without him,” she says.
SAMUEL’S LEGACY
Yet, in addition to the support of her boys, who Samuel doted on as a “protective” big brother, Elly says Samuel’s enduring legacy will comfort her, too.
“He achieved so much in so little time,” she says.
‘We didn’t treat him like “the sick kid”. He wasn’t a quitter’
“He was a young man who wasn’t just passionate about the things he cared about – he actually did something to make a difference.
“From advocating for other young people battling cancer to volunteering for the Salvation Army and the Greek community, Samuel wanted to make a difference and did so for as long as he could. We’re so proud of him – and we’ll miss him forever.”