Community rallies around popular Northern Rivers school teacher as he battles rare form of cancer

The Northern Rivers community is rallying around this dad-of-two as he pushes for more awareness around the aggressive form of cancer that started in his bicep.

Terranora school teacher is dad to Kai and Millie and husband to Amy - all of which have been rattled by his sarcoma diagnosis.

When popular Northern Rivers teacher Matt Fydler came face-to-face with one of the most gruelling battles of his life, his school and wider community came together to ensure he didn’t face it alone.

The head of house/ director of the sports academy at Terranora’s Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School was diagnosed with an “extremely rare” form of cancer last year called rhabdomyosarcoma.

Starting in Matt’s bicep, friend and colleague Daniel Robins said he, like most, thought it was just a haematoma.

However, they were all proved gravely wrong when the diagnosis was revealed.

“It’s my understanding there’s only two people in all of Queensland diagnosed with this type of cancer,” Mr Robbins said.

“Therefore, the funding and or research for it is just not there.”

The relentless fight had dad-of-two Matt go through radiation therapy, surgery to remove his bicep and a gruelling regimen of chemotherapy.

Sadly, in the last two weeks, he and his family have had a further setback, with the news those measures were unsuccessful in stemming the spread of tumours which are now in his lungs, armpit and arm.

Terranora school teacher Matt Fydler is dad to Kai and Millie and loving husband to Amy - all of which have been rattled by his rare sarcoma diagnosis.

It was news that shocked Matt’s friends and the greater school community to its core.

“I guess as a science teacher, you trust science and medicine, that this is the plan to shrink (the cancer) down and remove it but it hasn’t worked out that way,” Mr Robbins said.

“We’re just trying to support where we can, obviously Matt hasn’t been at the school a lot since his diagnosis and we’re missing him.”

Now with Matt awaiting the results of genomic testing and the possibility of being accepted into clinical trials with immunotherapy, Mr Robbins had decided it was high time to help out the mentor of so many.

Starting a GoFundMe for Matt, Mr Robbins hoped the community would help alleviate the cost and stress of his next medical treatments.

“One of the bills (Matt) had for genomic testing was around $6500, and that’s just profiling the actual cancer,” Mr Robbins said.

“Certain immunotherapy drugs, I’ve been led to believe, can be $2000 at a time outside of the trial.

“Our motivation is about reconnecting the family to the community and giving Matt peace of mind that anything that comes up, he can do.”

The fundraiser, which was started less than a fortnight ago, had already exceeded its $100,000 goal by more than $23,000.

The support has left Matt overwhelmed.

“The amazing generosity, compassion and words of support have blown Amy (Matt’s wife) and I away,” he wrote on the GoFundMe page.

“We will be forever thankful to all of you awesome people who have been a part of this journey.

“During an extremely challenging and most scary time in my life, you have all given me the inspiration and hope to fight the hell out of this illness.”

Mr Robbins said it was the least the community could do for Matt in his time of need.

I don’t think he expected the response but it’s not a surprise to us,” he said.

“It’s been heartwarming to see it and hopefully it’ll give him a lift knowing everyone's behind him.

“He’s still determined to beat this thing and raising his spirits is really important.”

To donate, head here.