Cancer almost ended music man's beat
Graham Wood's life revolves around music, but just over a year ago, the beat nearly stopped.
The celebrated jazz pianist was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer that starts in the bile ducts.
He was admitted to Royal Perth Hospital, where he had a lifesaving 13-hour operation with a 25 per cent mortality rate.
Two days after surgery, as he lay in the intensive care unit, Wood's family visited him on his doctor's recommendation. "I was very sick. They had put me on dialysis and that can be a pretty slippery slope," he said.
"I remember thinking, 'Yeah, I don't know if I'm going to make it through the night here'."
But after months of rest and rehabilitation, he made a stunning recovery.
Wood, 42, has resumed his roles as music director of the WA Academy of Performing Arts, director of the Perth International Jazz Festival and co-owner of The Ellington Jazz Club.
The Daffodil Day ambassador said his brush with death had changed his perspective on life. "I certainly don't get hung up on the stuff I used to," he said.
He said hope and positivity were powerful weapons in the fight against cancer.
Daffodil Day, on August 22, raises money for cancer research, treatments and support services.
