When Jaymie and Scott “Fergs” fell head over heels for each other, there was no telling what their future would hold. Nobody would have predicted Jaymie would be a widow in her early 30s, raising a child who would never meet her dad. Nobody.
Isn’t it meant to be that you meet the love of your life, get married, have kids and live happily ever after until you’re old and grey. Right? Sadly, that’s not the reality for some.
Brain cancer is particularly cruel, targeting the young
In 2018 Fergs was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma, a debilitating and very serious brain cancer. Fergs, together with his wife Jaymie, put up one epic fight, facing every challenge and obstacle with bravery and steely determination. Given his dogged determination to fight so hard, he out-lived his life expectancy given to him by doctors, five times.
Since being diagnosed he underwent 2 brain surgeries (1 he was awake), 56 sessions of radiation, 10 months of chemotherapy, 27 sessions of targeted therapy and 35+ seizures.
Fergs has big dreams for his family and we want to help make sure that Jaymie and their daughter get to achieve all of these. Reducing the upcoming financial stressors for his family would mean the world to Fergs and this is one way we can all do that so please donate!
Dream BIG and make it happen
When you live knowing you don’t have all the time in the world left to conquer your dreams, you get pretty busy making, and ticking off, your bucket list. And that’s exactly what Fergs did.
He built a house and then married his long-time girlfriend, Jaymie in December 2019. Together they conceived and planned for their baby, and after 10 months of IVF, the couple were ecstatic to be pregnant with a baby girl. A daughter Fergs heartbreakingly may never got to meet.
Baby on board!
Nothing fuels determination to kick brain cancer’s butt like knowing you have a child coming into the world. It also provided a beautiful distraction for Fergs and Jaymie.
Jaymie said of her late husband:
“He was always rubbing my belly and talking to her.”
“He would always be telling me all the things he wanted to do with our daughter.”
A devoted Dad from the get-go, Jaymie says:
“He was so involved in the pregnancy. No matter how unwell or tired he was he would never miss anything.
“Scott never missed a midwife appointment because he was truly that stubborn.
Sadly, Fergs passed away on March 31 – three years after his initial diagnosis.
And then Isla arrived
Four weeks after Fergs’ passing, Jaymie delivered their baby. Sweet Isla Scott Ferguson said hello to the world.
We can only imagine how heavy Jaymie’s heart must be. To be so elated to have her daughter here, yet so terribly sad to not be able to share it with Fergs. Jaymie says in her Instagram caption:
Fergs and I are so overjoyed to welcome to the world our miracle baby and my saviour Isla Scott Ferguson… I’m sure Fergs was with me the entire time and our baby girl is already a mirror image of her incredible dad. I am so in love!
Gifts from Dad
Before Fergs passed, he recorded and penned a series of letters and heartfelt videos for all of his family. But most importantly, for his little girl.
He wrote a beautiful notebook full of advice and thoughts for his darling Isla. “Your mum and dad will always be proud and think of you every day” a page of the notebook read.
Jaymie also posted on her Instagram photos of a gift Fergs had arranged for Jaymie’s birthday prior to his death – a beautiful gift of fingerprint jewellery. Such a sweet and everlasting reminder of a beautiful man who was cruelly robbed of his future by brain cancer.
It’s time to take action. Jaymie is calling for change
Jaymie wants more help for others who are also suffering from this crippling cancer. She says in an interview:
“We need to break the stigma surrounding brain cancer in Australia.”
“Nothing has changed in 30 years to help combat brain cancer.
“It kills more people under 40 – including children – than any other cancer, but it gets less than 5 per cent of all government cancer research funding.
So please, we all think cancer won’t happen to us – until it does. Every single dollar adds up to make a difference and I urge you to donate to causes such as Carrie’s Beanies for Brain Cancer which helps raise money for brain cancer research or Mark Hughes Foundation which also funds research and supports brain cancer patients. No donation is too small – you CAN make a difference.
You can also donate to Jaymie and Isla to help support them during what is such a truly difficult time, just head to their GoFund Me page.
