“You have three months to live. Go home and get your affairs in order.”
That’s what the oncologist told Steve Farey after a routine blood test and an ultrasound uncovered a 110 x 80 mm tumour in his liver.
The diagnosis was Cholangiocarcinoma — an aggressive, rare, bile duct cancer.
Steve felt fine. No symptoms. No pain. But just like that, he was told his life was nearly over. He didn’t go home to die. He went home to fight.
At 78 years old, Steve has always lived an active life.
He worked as a carpenter and builder, and in his younger years, he played semi-professional soccer and trained in Taekwondo.
He believes that staying strong and fit throughout his life gave him the physical foundation and mental discipline he needed when cancer came.
Steve began a rigorous and risky treatment plan with more than 20 rounds of chemotherapy, 20 rounds of immunotherapy and two rounds of SIRT (Selective Internal Radiation Therapy), a treatment for liver tumours that delivers radioactive beads directly to the tumour site.
There have been many scans throughout the process.
And through all of it—Steve never felt any pain. Not once.
Steve didn’t just depend on medicine — he gave this fight everything he had: He practiced daily meditation, keeping his mind sharp and calm. He embraced ancient Egyptian rituals, finding strength in spiritual connection. He played badminton four times a week and pickleball four times a week, keeping his body in motion and active. He stayed 100 per cent positive — never giving in to fear, anger, or doubt.
And he had Anita, his partner, by his side every step of the way.
She was his rock — never doubting him, always believing, helping him stay grounded and focused even when things got tough.
Doctors initially gave Steve three months to live and that was three years ago.
And he’s still going.
Steve is continuing monthly immunotherapy treatments, followed by additional treatment six weeks and then eight weeks later. Before that, he had another MRI scan to check where things stand. The results came back showing there was no sign of cancer. His oncologist told him he was in remission.
This journey isn’t over—but neither is Steve. Medicine helped his body. Mindset protected his mind. Love and movement kept his soul alive. Steve is still here. He’s still fighting. And he’s still truly living.
Steve says: “If you’re part of a cancer support group, a hospital, or you’re someone who’s just heard the same words I did — this story is for you.
“Don’t give in even if they tell you there’s no hope. Hope is real. Strength is built within you if you believe. And sometimes, the fight is won one round at a time.”
“With love and thanks to Anita, who stood by me through it all,”
Steve Farey, age 78, cancer survivor, fighter, and is still living fully.
