Father with terminal cancer prepares for final Christmas with loved ones

When Josh Leask​ started experiencing pains in his right side he ignored them and kept on working.

It was only after wife Tarsha insisted, he got checked by a doctor. The news was serious. Josh was diagnosed with terminal neuroendocrine cancer.

As they prepare to spend their last Christmas together, the couple and their two children want to make as many precious memories as they can, including fulfilling Josh’s dream of finally going to Rainbow’s End theme park in Auckland.

But most importantly he wants people, especially men, to know that if they feel unwell, get it checked out.

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Eight years ago Tarsha was going through a rough patch. She’d just lost her mother and was struggling.

Then Josh came into her life. He was her rock, she said. Within three years the couple was married and living together in Johnsonville in Wellington with children, Oli and DJ.

“When he came along, [Josh] just swept me off my feet. And we’ve literally been together every single day, since the day we first met.”

But even though things were good, Tarsha could tell something wasn’t right. Sometimes, without warning, Josh would experience pains along his right side that left him curled over in pain.

Usually this would have pointed to appendicitis. But Tarsha knew Josh wasn’t showing the usual symptoms that indicated issues with his gallbladder.

Josh, a typical Kiwi bloke, refused to go to the doctor, saying he was fine.

“He thought he would be able to just get it through and it would be fine. It’ll go away.”

Tarsha had to trick her husband into going to Hutt Hospital by pretending to take him shopping at Queensgate Mall. Even in the hospital car park Josh was refusing to go inside – until Tarsha put her foot down.

It was lucky she did. An anomaly showed up in a scan of Josh’s liver. The doctors made Josh stay overnight and the next day the couple received the news they feared.

By that point, the cancer had developed to a point where it was too far gone to completely treat.

“All they could do was give him treatment, to hopefully give him a bit of time.”

In November, Josh was told there was no point in continuing treatment. Now the family is preparing to spend their final Christmas together.

“I’m struggling,” Tarsha said. “My husband is my best friend.”

A Givealittle page has been set up for Josh, with the money going towards funeral costs and helping Tarsha when Josh is gone.

The family is hoping there will be enough donated for them to fulfil some of Josh’s wishes, like completing his tattoo sleeve. The couple want to go on a family trip to Rainbow’s End – Josh has always dreamed of going to the theme park.

Josh said it was important for people to listen to his story. Too often, Kiwi men felt that they could ignore their health – with terrible results.

“What I would like people to do is if they’re feeling sick go get checked out. Go to the doctor immediately, a hospital, get checked out. Save your family the pain and the suffering.”

Josh’s Givealittle page can be found here.