Tony (55) has been living with non-curable oesophageal cancer since 2024 when the diagnosis came like a bolt out of the blue, rocking him and his wife Sonya’s world. Changing it forever.
Since then, they have been busy making memories, Sonya said “last year we were really doing things that we wanted to do, we went to Cornwall, Land’s End and Silverstone, doing a week of travelling.”
The big goal for Tony in 2025 was to compete Salzburg Austria in the EMMA – European Multi Media Association event. Tony has only been competing in this sound inspired car competition for about three years and has adapted his BMW from a sound system that he described initially as being ‘pretty rubbish’ into a European vice champion!
Tony explains, “The judging itself is based on sound quality staging and placement of the sound system, using standardised test tracks: the judge sits in the car, closes their eyes, and listens to how the sound presents across different positions – right, left, centre…..”
Sonya added, “Tony was told by the doctors that a round of proactive chemo might get him through the year and when he finished chemo in March 2025, he was well enough to travel to Austria in May.”
Tony added that going to Salzburg was key motivator during chemo: “the biggest motivation was for me to fight to get to Salzburg, and I did and I became the vice champion, which was amazing.”
Tony has been dipping in and out of St Clare Hospice care over the last few months talking to his Clinical Nurse Specialist Jo and getting the support and advice he and Sonya needed.
His pain can be very difficult to control, so in January he came back into the Inpatient Unit for some more specialist pain care. He’s been seen by hospice volunteer Rose who has help with specialist relaxation techniques, for both Tony and Sonya and the hospice therapy team have been on hand with advice on equipment for when Tony gets discharged.
He explained ‘a few nights ago my whole situation come crashing into reality. I don’t know why, I don’t know where it came from, but in the middle of the night I had a massive breakdown. But the hospice nurse was there, and she was there at the right time, right moment, and she listened, and when I woke up the next day it was literally like someone took a weight off of me, and it was so nice. It really was. It was everything.’
As part of lifting Tony’s mood, he had a visit to home for the night whilst staying at the hospice. The next morning Sonya dropped him back in the car, and Tony ended up having his consultation with the hospice doctors, sitting in the car, as they were all keen to see the award winning BMW – where else would you get that kind of boost other than St Clare!
Now Tony has one final goal on his mind. Becoming a grandad! “I’ve always wanted to be a grandad, and my son’s partner is being induced either this weekend or next week and I can’t wait to meet Beau – my first grandchild.”
Thank you to Tony and Sonya for sharing their story.