Starting a family in the future scares Timothy Bowen. Not because fatherhood is daunting but rather he is concerned of passing on genes that saw him – and his sister Clare – battle with cancer.
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The singer-songwriter who grew up in Minamurra was diagnosed with stage four of a rare form of Non Hodgkin Lymphoma in December 2015.
Not only had his sibling had a similar experience in childhood but both sets of grandparents all succumbed to various different cancers.
“While there’s no evidence to say its hereditary … it just makes you wonder,” Bowen said.
Having kids is something on his horizon in coming years, accompanied with worries the big C-word may visit them or revisit himself.
“While they give you the all clear it’s more like ‘yeah, you’re good for now’ – it’s a little bit nerve-wracking but realistic,” he said. “[Doctors] kind of follow you around for about seven years after your diagnosis to essentially make sure you’re okay.”
For now Bowen is revelling in the fact he is alive. His immediate future involves plans for collaborations (in studio and on stage) with Clare but not before dedicating the song, Someone I Know, to the staff at Wollongong Hospital who treated him.
“I wrote it about the people who took care of me when I was in hospital, the people who surrounded me and brought out family cups of tea,” he said.
Bowen will be performing a free concert – including the song – in the Wollongong Mall on Friday from 12pm to 2pm for Daffodil Day.
A Daffodil Day stall will be set up to raise funds to support life-saving cancer research.