Former Inverness goalie defies incurable brain tumour diagnosis and raises mammoth sums for Australian hospital
An ex-Inverness Thistle goalie who defied all odds has raised a whopping sum of money for the hospital in Australia that helped him when he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour.
After Gordon MacDonald received a prognosis of 12 to 14 months to live in January 2022, he was determined to fight back. Over the past weekend he has done just that by cycling 200km - over 124 miles - from Barnbury to Perth, raising over $23,000 for the hospital's charity, Charlies Foundation.
He paid tribute to the staff at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, Western Australia who cared for him as he underwent 30 rounds of radiation, 10 rounds of chemotherapy and brain surgery.
The 63-year-old who is affectionately known as Mac, said: “When I decided to try and raise funds for Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital it started out being all about money.
“But now it’s about raising awareness of this terrible thing and about trying to say thank you and raise money for research."
Mr MacDonald who was born in Inverness and went to school at Central Primary and Inverness High School excelled at most sports, including golf, athletics, cricket and badminton. At football, he played in goal and signed for Inverness Thistle in the late 1970s.
He began his bike ride from Bunbury on Sunday morning at 6.30am on Sunday, surrounded by some dedicated friends.
Conquering the first leg by 3pm Sunday he then rested for the evening, before taking off and completing the last leg alongside his wife, friends and grandchildren. He arrived in Perth on March 27 at 2pm.
Among those waiting for him at the finishing line was Alan MacLaren, a former team-mate at Thistle, who is currently living in Perth, Australia.
Mr MacDonald added: “I am one of the lucky ones.
“I have so much support and love around me from my wife and my family and friends I just feel so lucky.
"The staff at Charlies have just been incredible and have always felt so supported by everyone.”
His 91-year-old mother still lives in Inverness and he phones her everyday to find out how she is, and keep her updated on his condition. He is looking forward to seeing her later in the year as they meet for a family gathering.
