I don’t want anyone to go through the pain we did
Frank McGarvey’s daughter is fulfilling dad’s dying wish by raising awareness of disease
THE daughter of football legend Frank McGarvey has bravely revealed her father’s final days battling pancreatic cancer.
The former Celtic and St Mirren legend died from the disease in January of last year, aged 66.
His daughter Jenny Kane has now teamed up with Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland to fulfil the Celtic great’s dying wish – to raise awareness of the disease.
She said: “When Dad was diagnosed, he said, ‘Jenny, we need to tell people about this.’
“What we went through is not normal. It is traumatic. We want to make sure no one else has to go through what our family has.
“As a family we are working with Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland to raise awareness.”
Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of all common cancers, with a five-year survival rate of 7.3 per cent. Each year more than 900 people in Scotland are diagnosed. Around 26 die from the disease every day in the UK. However, with early diagnosis, pancreatic cancer can be treated.
Former striker Frank – who lifted the Scottish Cup with both Celtic and St Mirren – began feeling unwell in spring 2022. He had chest pains, lost his appetite and lost weight. Jenny said: “Dad went to the doctor five or six times in spring 2022 and was misdiagnosed. As a former footballer, he had a high pain threshold, but he was in agony. “The doctors were giving him painkillers and indigestion medication which weren’t helping. It felt like no one was looking at the bigger picture and tracking how much weight he was losing.” He was eventually referred for a CT scan, with doctors spotting the cancer and finally giving Frank his devastating diagnosis. Jenny said: “I had never heard of pancreatic cancer but I knew deep down something wasn’t right.
“I wish I had seen one of the posts on Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland’s social media channels listing the symptoms. I think I’d have made the connection.
“It took six weeks after diagnosis before the doctors even started talking to Dad about treatment.
“Pancreatic cancer feels like the forgotten cancer. My dad died in pain. No one should have to go through that suffering.” Jenny said the family will pay tribute to him this weekend, as he would have turned 68 on St Patrick’s Day. She said: “Dad has eight grandchildren who miss him so much every day. My two older daughters, Jessica and Antonia, talk about their Papa all the time. “To mark what would have been Dad’s 68th birthday on Sunday, we are going to have a cake and the kids will write messages on balloons and send them up to heaven.” Frank, who was capped seven times by Scotland, was inducted into the St Mirren Hall of Fame in May 2005, after scoring 102 goals in his 341 appearances for the Paisley side across his two spells at the club.
Dad went to the doctor five or six times and was misdiagnosed
JENNY KANE on Frank’s cancer battle