One was to give back to the Echuca Regional Hospital Palliative Care Unit that had looked after him while he was dying of pancreatic cancer.
The other was that no person would go through what he had gone through.
Mr Murtagh, 63, a truck driver, was pulled off the road as he was due for a double hip replacement.
“He had to go to the preoperative appointment in which doctors found some issues in the testing they did on the day,” his daughter and Stewart’s Wish founder Sarah Vickers said.
“They did some more tests, in which they found a massive tumour on his pancreas.
“Once we finally got into the oncologist, they let us know that he had stage four metastatic pancreatic cancer, which had already spread from his pancreas to his left lung and chest cavity.
“We were given a six to 12-month diagnosis and Dad made eight months.”
This is where Echuca Regional Health Palliative Care Unit came in.
“Dad called them his angels.” Mrs Vickers said.
“When he was first diagnosed, they came to the house and they assessed him.
“They would pop in, check on how he was doing, do a few tests, have a chat with him and Mum.”
Echuca Regional Health Palliative Care Unit would send monthly care packages to the family, organised a lift chair and bed for Mr Murtagh and supported his wife Jenny through the journey.
“A couple of weeks before he passed he had a TIA (transient ischemic attack). Mum rang them, because she was absolutely terrified,” Mrs Vickers said.
“They dropped everything they were doing and came straight around to be with them.
“If we needed anything, they were there.”
This is why Mrs Vickers and Mrs Murtagh started Stewart’s Wish.
Stewart’s Wish is a registered charity that supports both the Echuca Regional Health Palliative Care Unit and the Pancare Foundation.
The Pancare Foundation is the leading fundraising and research organisation into pancreatic and upper gastrointestinal cancers, with the goal to increase the rate of early detection.
Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. Currently, the rate of survival past five years is 11.5 per cent, with the foundation wanting to double that rate by 2030.
To help with this, Stewart’s Wish is holding a pancreatic cancer awareness fundraiser.
The heavenly harvest grazing afternoon will be held at Fuzion Cafe in Echuca on April 1 at 2pm and will include a silent auction, a raffle, lucky door prizes, music by Kim Kneebone Music and a glass of bubbly on arrival.
The fundraiser has been made possible through sponsorship by Fuzion Cafe and Goulburn Murray Credit Union Co-op.
Pancare Foundation upper GI cancer specialist nurse Shannon Gleeson will be the guest speaker.
“We need people to understand the symptoms, survival rates and how fast this cancer happens,” Mrs Vickers said.
“But it is also giving back, helping Echuca Regional Health. They have got an amazing service and what they do for people is amazing.
“If we can get people to help us help them, it is going to make other people’s lives a little bit easier.”
Stewart’s Wish will be supporting the Pancare Foundation’s United for Hope walk in May in Echuca, handing over all the money raised from the events to both the foundation and the Echuca Regional Health Palliative Care Unit in November 2023.
You can find out more about Stewart’s Wish at https://www.facebook.com/Stewartswish
To book a ticket for the Stewart’s Wish pancreatic cancer awareness fundraiser, visit https://www.trybooking.com/CFMZK
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