“Whatever your dream is, you just have to push for it and go hard.”
For a man who’s always worked hard and been the beating, active heart of family life, for his ageing parents, four siblings and four children, losing much of his mobility and being referred to St Christopher’s after a second cancer diagnosis came as a huge body blow for Brian Sewell.
After initially refusing the hospice’s offer of physiotherapy, Brian attended a course of six sessions and, after enjoying the physical and psychological lift, wants others to overcome any reluctance they might have about engaging with St Christopher’s.
“Coming to St Christopher’s was hard, and I knocked it back a couple of times,” Brian, 58, who was diagnosed with bone cancer in October, admits.
“When I got up and danced it was like I didn’t have cancer.”
“I just thought it was a place you went at the end. When I eventually came, my goal was to come and improve my mobility. I used to do everything for my mum and dad but I’d had to stop driving and I felt helpless.
“When I heard the salsa at my first physio session I just wanted to get up and dance. My son, Brett, who is a professional dancer was there with me and the physio asked if I wanted to dance. I said I didn’t know if I was strong enough. I promised that I was going to.
“Dancing has always been a big thing for me and I loved going out dancing. So, when I got up and danced it was like I was in a normal gym. I felt like I didn’t have cancer and everything was alright. I feel light on my feet.”
Brian, who’s lived all his life in Croydon and has known of many people who’ve been cared for by St Christopher’s, wants people to know what it’s really like.
“We have to find a way of letting people know that it’s not just a place you go to say goodbye.
“I would tell people to get down there and accept their help. They are really good people, it’s a lovely place with a great café and beautiful garden and the physio was fantastic.”
Nurses from St Christopher’s continue to call Brian every couple of weeks to check he’s ok and he’s hoping to return for more physio at some point.
Having achieved his dancing goal, proud dad Brian now wants to see his 16-year-old son Broghan make his debut as a professional footballer, after he recently signed for Southampton.
“A week after Brett said he liked dancing aged eight we were in a dance club, and when Broghan said he wanted to play football for a team I had him signed up straight away. Whatever your dream is you just have to push for it and go hard.”
It was Broghan’s twin brother Brae’s diagnosis aged three with a rare genetic condition called Ataxia-Telangiectasia (AT) that Brian believes has helped him and his wife Siobhan face his own challenging circumstances.
“We were told he had a lifespan of 26 and he’s now in a wheelchair. Watching Brae deteriorate prepared us for my diagnosis. He was only young and didn’t know what lay ahead.
“I have my bad days, but I’m ok and thanks to the physio and the medication I sometimes think maybe the doctors made a mistake.”
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