SEVENTEEN-year-old Chad McGovern lives knowing he will likely face another battle with cancer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
If and when that battle begins, Chad will be ready and he won't be alone.
By his side will be little brother Flynn, who by his very disposition, is connected to Chad in a way that most siblings will never experience.
Just moments before being born, baby Flynn became Chad's lifeline.
At the age of 5, Chad was diagnosed with fanconi anaemia. It is an inherited disease similar to leukaemia and impacted every blood cell in his body.
Chad would bruise easily and was susceptible to other illness and his immune system battled to keep his body strong.
By the time Chad turned nine, the illness began to have a grave impact on his body. He plummeted into bone marrow failure and required an urgent transplant.
For his parents Richard and Michelle, the news was heartbreaking and was combined with the apprehension and joy of soon welcoming their second child into the world.
It would be that baby however, that would give Chad a second chance.
Moments before Flynn was born, doctors harvested his cord blood. It was a match and a bone marrow transplant became a reality.
"It's been a long journey from first discovering something wasn't right with Chad's blood levels, to finding a PGD IVF match in the form of his brother Flynn whose cord blood was collected moments before he was born, to the bone marrow transplant using the cord blood and living in isolation for three months at Sydney Children's Hospital and Ronald McDonald House in Randwick," Richard said.
"Chad has a higher than most chance of developing leukaemia into the future and he decided out of the blue late last year he wanted to give back and asked if he could do the World's Greatest Shave."
For the Wauchope High School captain, the next challenge was to grow his locks and with Flynn, raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation.
On June 10, with the help of Hair Shenanigans and before their supportive school mates, the brave shave began.
Between them, Chad and Flynn expect to raise over $7000.
"I just wanted to do something to give back," Chad said.
"It's pretty cool how doctors can do things these days - I'm off all my medications now and have specialist tests very 12 months.
"In the future though I know I am likely to develop cancer. That's just the way it is I guess."
Wauchope-born Chad will this year sit his Higher School Certificate. He has ambitions to study paramedicine.
Eight-year-old Flynn loves his big brother dearly.
"He every now then will throw at me - 'you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me'," Chad laughs.
Chad works at Timbertown IGA and had the backing of his work colleagues throughout his fundraising campaign.
"Chad has been able to show all the students that it doesn't matter what life throws at you, it's up to you to decide if you're a victim or a survivor. Being part of a community and giving back when you can is all that matters," Richard said.
What else is making news?
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Port Macquarie News. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, sign up here. If you would like to support our journalists you can subscribe here.