An open letter to PM Abbott: the choice of a lifetime

When an unexpected event occurs in your life, one where the prognosis is a malignant one, you simply have two choices – to wilt away and succumb to the perceived burden placed upon your shoulders, or rise to the occasion.

I take comfort from something Muhammad Ali once said, "God will not place a burden on a man's shoulders knowing that he cannot carry it." Today, I see my predicament as a blessing in disguise, an opportunity to rise, to inspire, to fight for causes in which I am passionate, and give hope to others in similar situations.

This 'dark night of the soul' journey tests all facets of your essence - emotional, mental, spiritual, and of course, physical. Things we take for granted are stripped away. Today, I am unable to feed myself, bathe myself, toilet myself, dress myself, walk, and my speech is now also slowly failing me.

But it is more than these physical attributes that is stripped from you. It's your dignity, your pride, your privacy, your independence, and a sense of helplessness, when your partner is also diagnosed with a serious disease in breast cancer, and you are unable to hold, comfort and care for your partner.

And this for me, more that anything is the most painful, as a husband and as a father unable to be there in their hour of need.

But my life challenges do not deter me. I continue to have an extraordinary passion for life, my family, my friends, and community. Ironically, this passion and thirst for life has grown exponentially in the last several years following my diagnosis.

Despite my situation, I continue to find ways to participate in life. I believe I still have something to contribute to society. While my ability to speak is diminishing, I believe I still have a voice worth listening to. My breath is gradually fading, though my zeal for life is left untarnished. The body is frail and failing me, but my inner spirit still roars.

And while my sunset is approaching, the afterglow of my essence will hopefully remain in the memory of my wife, daughter, families, and friends.

Each year, my festival partner and I organise the Newcastle Italian Film Festival. In our fifth year, we organise events that contribute to promoting Newcastle as an economic and culturally diverse and vibrant hub.

Through the lenses of foreign films, our key goal is for people from all walks of life to come together and understand, be compassionate, embrace and respect each other as individuals, and as communities regardless of your heritage.

Another important goal is to raise awareness, and contribute back to our community by donating net profits of the film festival to a charity. In the past four years, we have proudly donated $35,000 to charity.

This year, in 2014, our Festival takes on a more personal tone with the Motor Neurone Disease Association NSW being the financial beneficiaries of the Newcastle Italian Film Festival.