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I have cancer & had to make a brutal decision - but I've got epic last trip to make

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I have cancer & had to make a brutal decision - but I've got epic last trip to make
I have cancer & had to make a brutal decision - but I've got epic last trip to make

A TERMINALLY-ill father who has never left the country has raised thousands of pounds to achieve his bucket-list trip abroad - weeks after voluntarily ending his chemotherapy treatment.

Dove White, from Whiteinch in Glasgow, was diagnosed with a rare form of incurable mouth and neck cancer in December 2016 - just six days before Christmas, aged 36.

Dove White and his wife Sarah with their two children on their wedding day qhiukiqrihqprw
Dove White and his wife Sarah with their two children on their wedding day
He was diagnosed with the rare disease in December 2016
He was diagnosed with the rare disease in December 2016
Despite many operations and treatment, Dove has decided to end his chemo
Despite many operations and treatment, Dove has decided to end his chemo
Dove has been documenting his cancer journey using his Facebook page
Dove has been documenting his cancer journey using his Facebook page
Dove White and his wife Sarah
Dove White and his wife Sarah

Last month, the father-of-two took the heart-breaking decision to stop his treatment after a six year battle with an adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare cancer that develops in the head and neck.

After 10 weeks on a clinical cancer trial at the Beatson in Glasgow, the 42-year-old had found the side effects were causing complications and decreasing his quality of life.

He has since took the brave decision to end treatment to focus on "Dove's Final Quest" - a bucket list of activities to spend with his wife Sarah, 40, and his two teenage children, 17 and 16.

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Speaking to the Scottish Sun, Dove explained the agonising choice he's had to make over the last three months.

He said: "I wanted to stop treatment completely because I really couldn't do it.

"It made me so unwell both physically and mentally.

"I thought I was strong, that I'd be able to take it head on but it's just too overpowering.

"If I was supposed to do this treatment every week of my life I knew it would break me.

"Was it really worth a longer life if it's not a good quality life?

"Then I thought that if I stopped it, I would live a shorter life but still be able to do the things that I could do before treatment started without as many days of feeling so ill.

"I knew that no matter what I chose, I'd regret that I didn't do the other. There were so many aspects that I had thought about over the weeks before and I still hadn't got a clue as to which path to go down."

Dove has fund-raised for various cancer charities over the last six years to help him come to terms with diagnosis raising over £2,500.

But this time, he was encouraged to set up a GoFundMe for himself just before Christmas to ask for the chance to fulfil his final quest- to take his wife on a honeymoon to Iceland to visit the Blue Lagoon.

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He has never been abroad or set foot on a plane before, Dove even said the furthest he had travelled was to Blackpool.

He continued: "Three of my friends had suggested that I make a GoFundMe just for me and my family.

"I've never been interested in being kind to myself, all I wanted to do was help other people but now, I feel that I've earned my right to be nice to myself and my family.

"After all, time is precious, it really does go in the blink of an eye. It's something you don't think about until you are faced with a very real life-changing situation."

In just ten days, Dove and his family have raised over £4,300 to make the dream a reality.

He added: "I am so grateful to everyone who has donations. I couldn't believe it when I saw all the money come in.

"There are donations from all over the world, people are unbelievably kind and generous.

"I just want to be up in the clouds, I've never been on a plane, I've now got my chance to fly."

To donate to Dove's GoFundMe, visit here.

Jennifer Jones

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