Fred Conway is a grandfather to more than 70 children, a proud Bidjara and Barada elder, and a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) recipient – but "wretched cancer" does not discriminate.
"I'm determined not to cark it as yet," he said.
Two years ago, when he was 75, Uncle Fred noticed a blemish on his cheek.
"I thought it was a pimple," he said.
"Here I was squeezing it and I said to my wife, 'This flaming thing won't burst'.
"Eventually it got to the size of my thumbnail, so I went and got it checked out."
A diagnosis for head and neck cancer followed.
Uncle Fred underwent lengthy surgery to remove the cancer, then spent eight months receiving radiation treatment in Brisbane, 540 kilometres south of his central Queensland home.
"They operated on me," he said.
"It ended up being 23 and a half hours of it."
But in 2021, the cancer returned.
"I love my life, my wife, my family — I get a bit irritated from the treatment at times, but we've got to pull ourselves together," Uncle Fred said.
A 2020 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found cancer was the leading cause of death among Indigenous Australians, accounting for 23 per cent in 2014–2018.
Uncle Fred, now 77, is determined to make access to healthcare easier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
From the bush to Government House
Uncle Fred grew up in Woorabinda, a remote Indigenous community south-west of Rockhampton.
"I'm a grassroots person — I'm not an educated man, I went to grade three, I was a dunce," he said.
In 2020, Uncle Fred was honoured for his service to environmental conservation, his 33 years of work as a ranger and his assistance with the Aboriginal Seasonal Ranger Program at Carnarvon National Park.
He accepted the OAM on his final day of radiation during his first cancer battle.
"Coming from a dirt floor, no shoes on, a hole in my trousers, those days … what a wonderful person it made me to think and be proud of who I am the day when I received that OAM," he said.
Uncle Fred shows his scarred face with pride to start conversations about health.
"A lot of my people see the result today of me," he said.
Why is there a gap?
The gap is linked to differences in income, employment and education, as well as barriers including cost and "lack of accessible or culturally appropriate health services", according to the AIHW report.
"Indigenous Australians have lower cancer screening rates and are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at more advanced stages, resulting in lower cancer survival rates," it said.
In August 2021, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a $1 billion "implementation plan" aimed at closing the gap in health, education, justice, and employment by 2031.
Uncle Fred's daughter Cassinta Smith said her family knew the gap all too well.
"[Dad] couldn't understand what the doctors were saying," she said.
The Bidjara and Ghungalu woman left her job to take her father to his appointments.
"If we could have that one person to sit there and talk to our mob and say, 'This is what it is, this is how it's going to go' — because there is always going to be that barrier," Ms Smith said.
Some progress is still progress
Uncle Fred's treatment provider, GenesisCare, has a patient advisory committee designed to improve support and make care more accessible to Indigenous patients and their families.
Uncle Fred recommended the committee visit communities, chat with mayors and elders, and establish an open space for people to talk with health staff.
Rockhampton centre leader Cindy Versace said improved technology in regional areas was a start, but she acknowledged ongoing inequalities and the need for progress.
"I know — especially for a patient from Woorabinda — previously a lot of them would not go to Brisbane, but they would give Rockhampton a chance," she said.
"Healthcare has come a long way, but we've still got a long way to go."
Uncle Fred urged everyone to get checked if they had health concerns and to speak up.
"I hope my people will understand when they see this that there is always a great deal of what we call hope," he said.
Uncle Fred said accessing his second round of treatment closer to home, in Rockhampton, made a significant difference.
