Gerard Lloyd: Bli Bli dad battles with shock cancer diagnosis

A young Sunshine Coast father is in the battle for his life after multiple doctors failed to catch a deadly disease which has spread throughout his body. Read about his journey.

A young Bli Bli disability support worker who only just became a father is grappling with his battle against testicular cancer that has spread throughout his body.

Gerard Lloyd, 29, is in the battle of his life after he was diagnosed with stage four testicular cancer in mid-June after multiple visits to doctors could not locate the deadly disease growing inside of him.

To make matters worse, Mr Lloyd only welcomed his young daughter Rose with his partner Grace Turner, who is only several months’ old.

Mr Lloyd said his journey began four months ago when he continued to suffer from back and hip pain.

Acupuncture, exercise, and treatment for scoliosis were dished out to the 29-year-old father to help with his pain but nothing seemed to work.

“I kept pushing through it to go to work for so long but it just got worse and worse,” Mr Lloyd dad.

“My muscles in my back would lock up and seize … I couldn’t walk or sit or do anything without being in pain.

“It was that bad I couldn’t eat or sleep anymore.”

The Bli Bli dad saw a final doctor who realised he had an ailment more sinister than any back pain.

His symptoms continued to get worse to a point where the disability support worker would feel as if he was dying because his heart was “going crazy”.

Eventually tests concluded Mr Lloyd had cancer, which had spread up through his lower back and lungs.

He has begun chemotherapy that his doctors were confident about, but Mr Lloyd said he felt as though the road to get diagnosed was too long.

“It’s an aggressive germ filled cancer so it wouldn’t of spread so much if I we caught it earlier,” he said.

“Then when I got the call that it was cancer, I just bawled my eyes out.

“When you hear cancer you instantly think death … and you’re like ‘f---’ I’m going to die’, but the doctors were positive as it hadn’t gone to my bones or brains yet.

A fundraiser has been started to raise funds for Gerard Lloyd, Grace Turner and their daughter Rose. Picture: Contributed

Mr Lloyd said it was to process as he had lived a relatively normal life, exercising with his partner Ms Turner and being active in his job as a disability support worker.

He has now had to give up his job for the time being to fight off this deadly disease.

“I just keep reminding myself that I’ll get stronger for this with my body and my character because I am going to beat this,” Mr Lloyd said.

“Without suffering we don’t grow, and there’s been times where I’ve let my emotions to get to me and as a bloke you don’t want people to see that side of you.

“It’s humbling now.”

For Mr Lloyd he wants other young men to know that they should be focusing on their health because life was unpredictable.

He has a simple message for them.

“Just get their balls checked, either at the doctor or yourself as its common in young men,” he said.

“I was healthy and fit, and only ate organic food and it happened.

“It was so shocking as I thought I was invincible.”

A GoFundMe has been created to help the young family with their bills as Mr Lloyd has had to stop working due to his illness.

You can donate here.