A month ago, Matt Rose was living his dream.
He was in his mid-thirties, had three beautiful children and was married to the love of his life.
But in late July, he was told he had two to five years to live after doctors discovered an aggressive tumor in his intestines that had spread to his liver and abdominal cavity (the area between the organs).
The strong and otherwise healthy Australian father was at a loss for words when he received the shocking diagnosis of stage four bowel cancer, despite having done everything right.
The news came “out of the blue” for the 36-year-old. His only clue that something was wrong was when he started experiencing unexpected stomach cramps in July, followed by blood in his stool.
“On a Friday morning I saw a little bit of blood but I didn’t tell my wife Elle because I didn’t want to worry her,” Matt, from Wollongong, NSW, told FEMAIL. He didn’t think it was anything serious at first.
‘At 3pm I felt worse in my stomach and there was a lot more blood in it, so I went to the emergency room.’
Doctors ran tests, a CT scan, and inspected his abdomen, but Matt was still unconcerned and planned to pick up McDonald’s on the way home. Instead, nurses arranged for a bed for him.
Matt Rose (pictured right, with his wife Elle and their three children) was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in late July. The news came ‘out of the blue’ as he had few symptoms
“On a Friday morning I saw a little bit of blood but I didn’t tell my wife Elle because I didn’t want to worry her,” Matt told FEMAIL, adding that he didn’t think it was anything serious at first.
The strong, healthy and fit Australian father of three from New South Wales was given the shocking diagnosis of stage four bowel cancer, which turned his life upside down
“You don’t know how much can change in a Friday afternoon,” he said.
The diagnosis came as a complete shock as Matt had no family history of the disease, apart from his grandfather who had prostate cancer.
At the hospital, Matt underwent a colonoscopy and endoscopy, which revealed a 12 by 31 mm tumor blocking his intestines.
A biopsy confirmed it was cancer and scans showed secondary tumors in the liver.
Doctors came with terrible news that no one wants to hear.
“In my head I can’t believe it because I feel too good. It’s so strange to have that conversation with someone when I don’t feel sick at all,” he said.
“I feel too far away from that point right now. I can’t even imagine it.”
At the hospital, Matt had a colonoscopy and endoscopy, which revealed a 12mm by 30mm tumor blocking his bowel. A biopsy confirmed it was cancer and scans discovered secondary tumors in the liver
“In my head I can’t believe it because I feel too good. It’s so strange to have that conversation with someone when I don’t feel sick at all,” he said (pictured on their wedding day).
Matt said friends and family came to the hospital to support him and that he had a “Taylor Swift concert full of people” around him.
On August 8, he was dealt another blow when doctors discovered possible more cancer cells in other parts of the intestines. Doctors are still investigating to confirm this.
Now it’s a race against time to treat the cancer and save his life.
Matt felt his emotions welling up as he thought about the possibility of having to leave his loved ones behind, particularly his wife Elle, 33, and their three children: Pippa, five, Archie, three, and Sadie, one.
“I want my kids to have the best future they can have and it’s hard to think about not being there to help them. That in itself is pretty overwhelming,” Matt said as he held back tears.
While some people choose to write letters or diaries in advance for their children to read when they are older, Matt doesn’t have the emotional strength to do so yet.
“I want my kids to have the best future they can have and it’s hard to think that I wouldn’t be there to help them. That in itself is pretty overwhelming,” Matt said as he held back tears.
“I think in the future I’ll record wedding announcements and 21st birthday announcements for them. It’ll be nice for them to still have a message from their dad at those times in their lives,” he said through tears.
Matt is still shocked by the tragic news, but is still feeling good and is staying as positive as possible.
He wasted no time and began chemotherapy within a week. He will continue the biweekly treatment for another three to four months. DThe doctors will monitor the progress with scans.
He is quietly hopeful, but is trying to reconcile himself with the grim struggle for life that awaits him.
Although the Australian government has lowered the eligibility age for bowel screening from 55 to 45 from 1 July 2024, Matt believes it should be lowered to 35.
Matt is still shocked by the tragic news, but is still feeling good and is staying as positive as possible.
“If the tests had been done earlier, maybe things would have been different for me. Maybe it would have been caught earlier,” Matt said.
‘My outlook on life has changed a lot. I realize that you have to take the time to enjoy the little moments.
“It’s definitely brought my focus back to what’s important. You never know when you’ll get those precious moments back.”
Matt hopes his story will encourage young Australians to seek screening and, if necessary, a second opinion.
While some people may feel uncomfortable talking about bowel movements, Matt stressed that it could save your life.
“I think a lot of people are hesitant to talk about it because they’re embarrassed, but it’s so important,” he said.
For now, he cherishes the little moments with family and friends, who help him through the difficult time.
According to the Cancer Council, Common symptoms of colon cancer include changes in bowel movements, changes in the appearance or consistency of the stool, blood in the stool, pain in the rectum or anus, weight loss, unexplained tiredness, fatigue or anemia, and blood in the urine.
Australians can order a bowel screening via the Bowel Cancer Australia website or from a local pharmacy.
Above, in the bullet points, you will find a link to Matt’s GoFundMe campaign