'He said I have a great heart', Dad exclaims proudly. I'm busy making lunch, but I have him on video call - he's in bed, as he's not feeling the best. But he always, always has time for my call. 'A really good heart', he repeats. His face is beaming.

'That's awesome, Dad', I smile, moving off camera in a show of grabbing a knife, and wiping away a tear. It's ridiculously sweet. Even Jamie lets out a quiet 'awww'. We're both thinking of the meaning behind the doctor's assesment of a man with a 'good heart' because they need a healthy heart to undertake the CAR-T cell therapy my Dad's about to head into in a week or so.

If you remember, two years ago my parents were going to mortgage their house to go to Boston for treatment, but instead they got on another drug trial which was really successful (after a sickening round of chemo treatment) and gave him some time cancer free. He then went and had a hip replacement (because the chemo ate away at his bones) and got himself fit again. Then at Christmas, he had a sore back. A bad sign - of course the cancer was back. He'd been told it would come back, probably. We were all okay about it, although a little sad.

In the two years since, the Australian government approved the CAR-T cell treatment, which they say will end up the frontline of cancer treatment as they've had such good success with it.

This morning I read a very positive article that came up in an Australian newspaper. They talk about what this therapy is - you can read it here if you like, but they explain it as such:

Normally, our immune system hunts down and takes out any cells that have an infection, or are otherwise abnormal, such as cells that turn cancerous and start dividing and growing out of control. But sometimes cancer cells — and entire tumours, for that matter — can fly under the immune system's radar. CAR T-cell therapy aims to put cancerous cells back in the immune system's sights. The process involves removing a small proportion of immune cells from a person's blood. These white blood cells, called T-cells, are then taken to a lab where they're genetically engineered to produce molecules called chimeric antigen receptors (CAR). These receptors allow T-cells to zero in on and destroy cancer cells, while ignoring the rest. The newly reprogrammed T-cells, now called CAR T-cells, are multiplied and grown into their millions in the lab. While all this lab work is happening, which can take a few weeks, the patient is given chemotherapy which temporarily lowers their overall white blood cell count, making space for the CAR T-cells to slot in with the rest of the immune system. And when infused back into a patient's bloodstream, the tailored CAR T-cells multiply, and get to work sniffing out and eradicating cancer cells. This is not without its side effects: people are carefully monitored for symptoms such as trouble breathing, a fast heart rate and fever — signs that the CAR T-cells are doing their job, but could cause damage if not kept under control.

Dad'll be closely monitored and will have to stay in accomodation in Melbourne about half an hour at most from the hospital so if anything happens - anything - he can go in. Mum'll be with him. There's little I can do - this is a journey my parents have to go on together, like all the other things they have done in a life time of marriage. With COVID around and me working in schools, I'll have to keep my distance more than last time.

For the last two weeks, he's had radiotherapy to shrink the tumour a little. He's been okay, and in fairly good spirits, aside from a terrible three days with stomach issues. Meanwhile, he was being an emotional support for his neighbour, who has the same cancer as him, and another friend who's been going a little crazy from being isolated due to COVID. My father has a good heart in many ways. It's hard to see him ill.

Last week when he was really struggling and Mum was having to clean up after him (not pretty at all) he called me to ask a favour. I happened to be in town so I called past. His voice broke as he started to ask if my sister and I could take Mum shopping for clothes. I think it's the last thing Mum wants right now, but it was a way of Dad trying to make it up to Mum, and show his gratitude for all she's been doing to take care of him. I mean, that's what you do in a marriage, right? Til death do us part, in sickness and in health and all that. Both my sister and I had to laugh though that Dad's way of showing gratitude was us girls taking Mum shopping.

And so the journey goes on, and in the end, he'll get better or he won't. He'll shuffle off this world eventually, and we'll see him off with love, and in the meantime, we spend time together, and laugh, and live, and care for one another.

I'm proud I have a father with such a good heart.

With Love,

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