Singing Through Cancer
Phil Dockerty is currently receiving palliative care for stage 4 bowel cancer, yet his positive attitude is truly inspirational.
Phil has been a postman at Morecambe Delivery Office since 1984. An accomplished musician, he plays the acoustic guitar and sings with his band The Dead Puppeteers.
In January 2020, Phil attended a routine medical screening. Despite showing no symptoms, he was diagnosed with stage 2 bowel cancer.
Phil underwent treatment, but was sadly diagnosed with terminal stage 4 cancer later in the year. Prognosis is poor, however his current chemotherapy treatment may slow the disease to give him another year of life.
Despite this extraordinarily difficult challenge, Phil remains positive and cheerful. He gets on with life without complaint, and constantly reminds people of the importance of attending routine cancer screenings.
He walks the dog as much as he can, does jobs around the garden, and plays guitar in his music room.
Phil has played in bands since he was a teenager. He is currently lead singer, acoustic guitarist and harmonica player with The Dead Puppeteers, which plays self-composed original songs.
This summer, the band will be playing at a charity gig, and more dates are on the cards (much to his partner Sue’s - sometimes - despair!).
He is never happier than when playing in his band and is a great front man, always joking and smiling with the audience, and full of energy.
Phil’s colleagues at the Delivery Office are incredibly supportive of Phil and his family. A colleague also told him about the Rowland Hill Fund, where he applied for funding.
The Fund were delighted to pay 3 months mortgage. Phil said:
"This meant so much in so many ways.
It felt like we were supported through a work-related scheme, which made us feel that we weren’t alone. We can not thank the Rowland Hill Fund enough.
It is such a scary and surreal time that to have that kind of additional support was helpful beyond belief”.
To apply for financial support from the Rowland Hill Fund, please visit our application page.
If you’ve been affected by challenges similar to Phil’s, support is available at Macmillan Cancer Support.
If you would like to make a donation to the Fund, please visit our donation page.