Canungra has banded together to support a local family dealing with their son’s second major medical challenge. Josh Bell-McNee had brain cancer when he was a teenager.
Josh is well-known in Canungra, having attended Canungra State School, played for Canungra Owls Soccer Club, worked at Canungra FoodWorks and the Canungra Hotel and went on to be School Captain at Tamborine Mountain State High School.
After his recovery, he was active in fundraising and raising awareness for cancer charities.Now 27 and recently moved to Victoria, Josh had been cancer-free for over a decade.
Last month, doctors found a tennis ball sized tumour in Josh’s head.
Unable to find out whether the tumour was malignant or benign until after surgery, his mother, Becky, flew to be with her son and doctors acted quickly to remove the tumour, which was found to be non-malignant. Unfortunately, the tumour appears to be the result of life saving radiation Josh had when he had cancer as child. As soon as the tumour was discovered, people moved to assist the family.
A Go Fund Me page has raised over $12,000 for the family and a Trivia night was held at Moriarty Park (see photos this page), raising an additional $740. The Festival of Small Halls event is also a fundraiser for Josh, as well as another Trivia night set for 6 October.
Josh and his family expressed their gratitude for the support of the Canungra community.
The financial support has been muchneeded, but knowing they had the support of the local community has meant so much.
As Becky and Josh said, “We are really feeling the love.”
