27 February 2024 , 17:34
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A dad of three tragically died just four weeks after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
Steven Black, who was a dairy and arable farmer, was on a "once-in-a-lifetime" cruise with his wife, Pam Black, and close family relatives, travelling around South America. It was a rare escape for the couple - who barely had the chance to escape their farm and 400 acres of Stirlingshire land.
However, towards the end of the trip, Steven lost his appetite and complained that his stomach "wasn't quite right." His wife, Pam, said: "We read about it and Googled it, as you do, and thought it was stomach ulcers and that he should see a doctor when he came back home. Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine what lay ahead."
On January 2 2020, doctors revealed the devastating reason behind his symptoms: Steven had Stage 4 cancer of the duodenum (Daily Record)Numerous tests later, the 54-year-old was referred to Stirling Royal Infirmary. On January 2 2020, doctors revealed the devastating reason behind his symptoms: Steven had Stage 4 cancer of the duodenum - the first part of the small intestine, which receives partially-digested food from the stomach and begins the absorption of nutrients.
Pam said: "At that point, I said: ‘What is the duodenum?’ It is so rare. It is a silent killer. Even when we were told, we still both thought: ‘That is okay. You go and you get treatment.’"
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Two weeks later, the couple attended the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre for Steven’s first, and last, appointment with one of its consultant oncologists. According to Pam, Steven was "the sickest person in the waiting room."
She explained: "The consultant did say that if Steven wanted to get treatment, they could do that, but it would take a lot out of him, and seeing the way he was... Steven said: ‘No, I don’t want to do it. I want to spend what time I have left with my family.’"
"[Telling the children] was the most heartbreaking thing ever. You just seem to find the strength. As the weeks went on, they could see their dad melting away in front of their eyes. Emily had just turned 17. Her birthday was the day after her dad’s. I felt completely robbed. But Steven was amazing. He went into survival mode for us, to make sure we were all going to be okay.”
She added: "Steven spent his last few weeks making sure he covered everything for us. I did not know how he had the strength to do that. It was his way of coping. Looking back, it was a bit surreal.”
By the end of January 2020, the pain from Steven’s tumour was becoming overwhelming, the Daily Record reported. When Pam took him for a short drive in the countryside, the agony he experienced from a bump on the road or the mere tension of his seatbelt was unbearable. Within a matter of days, he was confined to bed.
At 1.45am on Sunday, February 2, 2020, much-loved Steven passed away at home in Thornhill. Now, Pam is choosing to tell her family’s story as a way of raising awareness of the lesser-known, fast-spreading cancer of the duodenum, and of the incredible work of The Beatson.
In celebration of his life four years after his passing, Steven’s family and friends are preparing for the third Thornhill 10k run in his memory. Steven’s close friend, Neil MacLaren initiated the concept of the challenge when he ran 10k every day for a year to raise funds for Beatson Cancer Charity. He completed the feat in April 2021 and raised over £11,000.