Karrinyup teen helps in dad’s cancer fight

PEOPLE can feel helpless when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer.

But Karrinyup schoolboy Kieran Lobo decided he needed to do something while his father Suvas battled the disease.

“I love my dad so much I decided to shave my head,” he said.

Afterwards, the 13-year-old wanted to do more and sought to raise $500 for Cancer Council WA.

He reached the target within two days, so he set his sights higher.

Kieran sought donations wherever he could, even doing odd jobs for family and neighbours, and his whole family helped fundraise, with his mother Marilyn collecting donations at her workplace and sisters Sonya (11) and Maya (6) donating their pocket money. He eventually raised more than $10,000, including a $5000 donation from Mr Lobo’s employer Gartner.

“It’s a good feeling I’ve helped to raise $10,000,” Kieran said.

“I want to keep on raising money.”

Mr Lobo said he was incredibly proud of his son.

“The fact he was willing to do that was pretty amazing,” he said,

“The strength Kieran has shown for a boy his age, to stand up and make a difference.”

The father-of-three was diagnosed with cancer in November 2015 and after treatment was in remission for a year until doctors told him last year the cancer had metastasised into his liver.

He said support from the Cancer Council was instrumental in his dealing with the stage four diagnosis.

“One takeaway I’d give anyone facing cancer today is find a resource for counselling,” he said.

“When I was diagnosed the second time, without the love and support of my family, I don’t think I could have gone through it.

“We didn’t ask for cancer, all we could do was try.”

Mr Lobo also praised the support of Kieran’s school Hale School, which he said “provided a lot of comfort”.

After finishing chemotherapy in March, recent scans showed positive results and Mr Lobo will now have blood tests every three months and six-monthly scans to monitor his condition.

“We live three months at a time, six months at a time,” he said.

“I’m feeling great. It’s a tremendous weight from my shoulders.”

Kieran is already organising his next fundraiser at his school.