Aussie dad behind famous TikTok bakery gets crushing diagnosis: 'Everything is changing so fast'
Darren Trewin, who runs a popular NSW bakery, has opened up about his struggles after revealing how his 'world turned upside down'.
A "humble" Aussie dad and popular baker has had his "world turned upside" after receiving a crushing diagnosis causing "everything to change so fast".
Darren Trewin, a "healthy and athletic" dad of two, has been made to give up "everything he loves" after being told he has incurable brain cancer — including his business, a small bakery where he's worked for 20 years.
The 53-year-old, who's become known for his baked goods on TikTok, received the troubling news last week, seemingly out of nowhere without any signs he was unwell.
"I just got up out of bed, started to try to walk, and my leg just started dragging behind me a little bit," he told Yahoo News Australia. "I thought that maybe I had a stroke or something. I went to hospital and they confirmed I didn’t".
After extensive testing, scans revealed Trewin had a tumour growing on his brain. "The doctor believes it might have been growing for three months," he said.
"Because of where it’s growing, on the right side of my brain, that affects my movement on my left side. The doctor said the tumour must have crossed over onto the nerve ending, affecting my leg."
Baker's sad realisation after incurable cancer diagnosis
Now, the 53-year-old, who spent his days at the gym, doing beach runs and running the Shoalhaven Heads Bakery on the NSW south coast, is taking it day by day and is preparing to say goodbye to the life he knew.
"It's hard because I loved doing what I did. And at the moment I’m realising that's something I'll never be able to do again. It just gave me satisfaction each day knowing that people came in to buy [what I made]," he said.
The devoted baker, who run the local bakery with his ex-partner, will undergo surgery next Thursday to remove as much of the tumour as possible. But doctors warned that whatever movements he’s lost before then will not return. Beyond that, chemotherapy and radiation are both options on the table however the cancer is incurable, he’s been told.
Baker's followers 'beyond shocked' by tragic news
After sharing the news on TikTok with his 180,000 plus followers, the worried dad said he’s had “so many people reach out". His supporters are "beyond shocked" and admit it's "really rough" on everyone.
The support and encouragement he's received so far has "really helped" the beloved baker come to terms with news that has changed his family's life forever. He even had one fan travel 180km from Penrith in Sydney's west to Shoalhaven Heads to fix his car which he plans to sell for extra cash.
"It's just amazing the community that you can have online. Just to know people are sending you love or just checking in and saying they've got prayers," he said. "It helps, especially when you are having a bit of a tough day."
Trewin continues to 'push through' diagnosis
For now, Trewin along with his partner Stacey and his adult sons Matt and Josh, are trying to keep things afloat with his ex stepping in to run the bakery in his absence. The baker said he's worked "really, really hard to build my business, a life for my family".
Friends of the family have created a GoFundMe page with hopes of raising money to help them during these troubling times.
"I can't control what's happening with me physically but I worry about trying to stay afloat financially," Trewin said. "Everything’s so fast-moving and we're struggling."
"It's hard when you lose movement and your body's adapting, but that's my reality now. So I'm just going to try to fight it the best I can and just try to keep pushing through for as long as I can."
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