ROCKLEY man John O'Brien says he just wants to die with dignity - and with his red cattle dog Bonza.
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But he says he will struggle to achieve even that modest ambition as he faces months of radiation treatment for high level prostate cancer.
Mr O'Brien is living in a fitted-out caravan at Molong Showground to be close to his treatment at Orange and is, he says, in a bad way.
"I've spent $25,000 since I've been sick - from petrol to medications to doctors to urology to going to Sydney to going to Canberra," he said.
"I had $25,000 in savings and it's gone. And a lot of our medication is not on the PBS [Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme]."
Mr O'Brien hoped to get low-cost accommodation for himself and Bonza close to Orange Hospital, for which he was willing to pay, but said he was let down by Member for Orange Phil Donato - which Mr Donato says is not correct.
According to Mr O'Brien, he was contacted by Mr Donato personally and the state member said he would organise accommodation for Mr O'Brien and his dog in Orange.
Further, Mr O'Brien said Mr Donato said he would organise transport from Rockley to Orange for Mr O'Brien's treatment if need be so Mr O'Brien could remain at home.
The Western Advocate put those claims to Mr Donato's office.
The Member for Orange said Mr O'Brien did contact his office to seek assistance with his treatment at Orange Health Service.
"Despite the fact he was not a constituent of my electorate, I did not refer him to his local member to save him the run-around - due to his condition and circumstances," Mr Donato said.
Mr Donato said he spoke with Cancer Council in Orange and was advised there was a possibility of Mr O'Brien being located at Orange Showground, so he could be with his dog.
"I rang Mr O'Brien and informed him of this," Mr Donato said.
"I left his details with Cancer Council and left it to them to assist."
The Western Advocate also contacted the Cancer Council about Mr O'Brien.
"Cancer Council NSW is aware of John O'Brien's situation and has provided him with transport to get him to treatment as requested, with ongoing transport support if needed," Cancer Council NSW community programs co-ordinator Fiona Markwick said.
"We encourage any readers affected by cancer and in need of support to call our 13 11 20 Information and Support line to access our range of support services and cancer information resources."
Mr O'Brien, meanwhile, wanted to emphasise that he had been shown plenty of kindness, but believes Australia should be doing more to help people who are struggling.
"The doctors over there [Orange] are wonderful and the nurses are more than wonderful," he said.
"And I wouldn't have been able to fix this caravan and get it all there without the help of a bloke called Howard here from Bathurst, who put his hand in his pocket and said, 'mate, I never want this back, because this could happen to me'.
"We're old men - in our late 60s."
The caravan, he said, had to be set up as if it was a "hospital".
"I had run out of money and Howard said, 'mate, here's a couple of grand, put it towards that', and we had it all disinfected, all scrubbed and cleaned, another bed put in there like a proper hospital bed, all that sort of thing."
Mr O'Brien said the radiation treatment won't cure him, but will possibly extend his life.
"All they're trying to do is give me a bit more life and quality of life. Because I'm not willing to surrender."
And he doesn't want to face this challenge without Bonza.
"My dog's desexed, he's clean, he's everything, he's beautiful. He wouldn't bite anyone. I'm not going to die without my dog. And I don't want to go into palliative care."
Mr O'Brien spoke to the Western Advocate before the current coronavirus crisis began.