John Fordham launches Head and Neck Foundation after cancer fight

For John Fordham — this is a story about repaying a huge favour. Having been diagnosed with head and neck cancer two years ago, he has no doubts he is only alive now thanks to his treating doctors. And he wanted to pay them back.

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This is a story about repaying a huge favour.

Two years ago, after my kids spotted a large lump on my neck and urged me to hotfoot it to a doctor, I was given the news nobody wants to hear.

I had cancer. Head and neck cancer, to be precise.

In very quick time, I was sitting opposite one of Australia’s leading head and neck surgeons, Professor Thomas Havas. Tick one in my favour.

The amiable professor explained it was in the early stages. Another tick in my favour.

And that radiotherapy could start virtually immediately. Another plus.

Wine maker Neil McGuigan with cancer survivor John Fordham.

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But beforehand, I needed to have a tube inserted in my stomach as a means of being fed for the next three months (when oral intake becomes inadequate) and a face mask precisely designed for wearing during the daily six weeks radiotherapy sessions at Prince of Wales Hospital.

Fast track six months, and I’m standing in the Four In Hand pub at Paddington waiting for the prearranged result of a PET scan that would determine the success or otherwise of my horror stretch.

Bingo. No traces of cancer could be found.

Later on, I was invited by Professor Havas and his head and neck cancer colleagues, doctors Ian Jacobson and Ravjit Singh, to offer suggestions on a possible campaign to raise awareness in head and neck cancer and to find funds for much necessary research.

John Fordham with wife Veronica and children Nick, Sarah, and Ben at this week’s Head and Neck Cancer Foundation launch.

John Fordham with 2GB hosts Alan Jones and Fordham’s son Ben.

This provided me with the perfect opening to repay the fabulous doctors and staff who had diligently taken ownership of my condition and guided me back to full health.

With the help of so many people behind the scenes, last Wednesday night — two years since being told I had cancer — we launched the Head and Neck Cancer Foundation and two cracker Critic’s Choice wines that will underpin our early fundraising.

Because of my love of the grape, which has allowed me to write on wine for The Sunday Telegraph for the past three decades, the idea of raising funds through wine stood out like a beacon but to do so I needed some influential partners.

The two Critics Choice wines on sale.

Getting the immediate support of McGuigan Wines, four times International Winemaker of the Year, and Australia’s leading online wine retailer Cellarmasters guaranteed the project’s success.

Late last year, a selection panel including CEO and chief winemaker Neil McGuigan, Cellarmasters head of buying and product Joe Armstrong, Andrew Caillard, a Master of Wine, and yours truly tasted our way through a couple of dozen tank samples before finalising our selection.

And for their stunning labels, a phone call to my artist daughter Sarah quickly fixed that.

Proceeds from the sale of the wines through Cellarmasters (cellarmasters.com.au) and a number of my often frequented eastern suburbs watering holes go direct to the Head and Neck Cancer Foundation (headandneckfoundation.com.au). So will an annual grant over the next three years from Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation, the charity chaired by my mate, former great Australian Test cricket captain Mark Taylor.