Grovedale’s Cornelius Van Vuuren diagnosed with terminal cancer
A Grovedale wedding celebrant has received a devastating pancreatic cancer diagnosis and been given just months to live.
Geelong
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A Grovedale wedding celebrant wants to tick items off his bucket list – like travelling around Australia – after he received a devastating cancer diagnosis.
Cornelius Van Vuuren was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer last month and given between six to 12 months to live.
The 65-year-old said he had experienced pain on his left side since November last year.
“I could feel something wasn’t right,” he said.
“I had pain in my stomach … I hadn’t been able to eat properly.”
He went to see his GP in January as the pain became too much to handle.
“I asked my GP for a B12 infusion to give me some energy because I was constantly tired,” he said.
“I had to do some blood tests first and (my GP) was a bit concerned because my white blood cells were high, which told him there was an infection somewhere in my body.”
Mr Van Vuuren underwent an emergency CT scan which showed a cancerous growth on his pancreas.
“It made sense why I couldn’t eat and why I was in pain,” he said.
Mr Van Vuuren, who moved from South Africa to Australia in 2005, said the diagnosis came as a shock to family and friends.
“Nobody plans for this,” he said.
“You always think you still have time (to live your life) but then you receive news like this.”
The father-of-three worked at McHarry’s Buslines, but has been forced to retire early due to the diagnosis.
“I had already used up all my sick leave and RDOs and I was about to use up all my holiday pay,” he said.
“(McHarry’s) have been incredibly supportive.”
Mr Van Vuuren has been a marriage celebrant since 2018 and officiated weddings across Victoria.
“Being a celebrant was my dream,” he said.
“I love to work with people.”
Mr Van Vuuren planned to travel and officiate weddings across Australia before he retired.
He still hopes to visit Uluru and travel around Tasmania before he passes.
A GoFundMe page, ‘Help Cornelius Find Peace in His Final Journey’, has been established to cover daily expenses, medical costs and help Mr Van Vuuren travel to tick off his bucket list items.
He was booked to marry the fundraiser’s organiser, Hollie Evans, and her fiancee in April.
“Hollie has been an angel,” he said.
“I was really looking forward to their wedding.”
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Originally published as Grovedale’s Cornelius Van Vuuren diagnosed with terminal cancer
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