‘It broke me’: Steven Riley’s stomach pains lead to doctor’s six month prognosis

It wasn’t until dad Steven Riley fainted from stomach pains did he go to the hospital — there he learnt he likely only had six months to live.

Steven Riley, who has been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, with his daughter Georgia Scott-Riley. Picture: Supplied,

Adelaide father Steven Riley was experiencing stomach pain for about a week before he eventually fainted from the pain, hitting his head.

The 58-year-old made his way to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where the staff conducted scans on his head and abdomen.

“That’s when they actually figured out he had cancer in his stomach,” his daughter Georgia Scott-Riley, 22, told The Advertiser.

Further tests revealed the cancer began in his liver — which doctors said was “dead”.

They gave Mr Riley six months to live.

Steven went to the Queen Elizabeth hospital in August last year complaining on stomach pain. Picture: Supplied,

There he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. Picture: Supplied,

Ms Scott-Riley said doctors told her father “there wasn’t anything they could do”.

“I burst into tears because I could’ve lost my mum to breast cancer but she’s now in remission and now to hear that my dad only has six months … it wasn’t very nice to hear,” she said.

“It broke me inside because my dad is my best friend, he’s my whole world.”

The Brighton father has not been undergoing any cancer treatment since he was diagnosed in August 2024.

Ms Scott-Riley said he has a drain in his stomach but that is the extent of his medical intervention.

“It’s just slowly watching him die, it’s not nice to do with anyone really but knowing that there’s nothing to do to help, it breaks my heart,” the Glenelg North woman said.

Since diagnosis Steven hasn’t been undergoing any cancer treatment. Picture: Supplied,

Georgia said “it breaks my heart my dad won’t be there for my wedding”. Picture: Supplied,

Since diagnosis Mr Riley has been struggling to remember and is losing his strength.

“His whole body is kind of just shutting down,” his daughter said.

“No child should witness their parent … slowly dying.

“It breaks my heart, my dad won’t be there for my wedding, my dad won’t be there to see my daughter grow up, he won’t be there to witness some of the life changing things that are going to happen in the future.

“It’s every girl’s dream to have their dad walk them down the aisle and I’m not going to have that.”

Ms Scott-Riley said her father is the person she goes to when she needs advice and when he is gone she knows he will send her signs whenever she needs him.

“I know he will still guide me through life and speak to me as much as he can, even though I won’t be able to hear it, I may be able to feel it,” she said.

Ms Scott-Riley would like to bring her father’s body back to Scotland, where he is from, if you’d like to donate to that effort, you can here.

Originally published as ‘It broke me’: Steven Riley’s stomach pains lead to doctor’s six month prognosis