Paul Cosgrove (64), known as ‘Cosie’, was recently diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer. After an inept mishandled blunder by Southern District Health Board, the grandfather of three now has metastasized cancer through his lungs and liver. 

But it needn’t have been this way. 

“Cosie was diagnosed with terminal cancer in July,’ said Cosie’s wife, Marj. “He was declined a colonoscopy last year by SDHB even though his doctor had ‘high risk of cancer’ on his notes. But he was declined. So he waited for the bowel cancer screening programme to come in the mail but by the time it arrived it was in his lungs and liver.”

Marj said her husband presented to the GP with typical symptoms of bowel cancer last year —  but was told he had nothing to worry about. This in itself is alarming as Marj points out; “Men never go to the doctor, let alone about their bums. So if a 64-year-old man asks for help in that department, he deserves to be taken seriously.”

But he wasn’t. And even when the GP eventually referred him for a colonoscopy, he was declined for reasons Marj and Cosie still don’t understand. “How can someone with ‘High risk of cancer’ written on the top of their notes, highlighted in yellow, be declined?”

Cosie has had six chemo treatments and is currently at the end of his first round. “He started in the private system but the drug he needed was funded by the public so he swapped to the public system and we go to Dunstan every three weeks,” said Marj.  

Cosie’s friends from Southland and Wānaka organised a Big Day Out and a givealittle page over the weekend which raised $100k “which was phenomenal.” 

The next round of drugs will be in the private system but Marj doesn’t know what the cost of that drug is yet —  and it will be ongoing. 

So to help Cosie out all the students at Wānaka Primary where Marj teaches, dressed in sports colours in support of sports-mad Cosie. 

“We are so lucky. This community we came to 12 years ago has just been so wonderful. Cosie is such a people person and he’s such a sports fanatic. He’s played rugby for Southland… he’s passionate about all sports. So this theme today and the whole school getting behind is just great.” 

Wānaka Primary’s ‘Cosie’s team day’ raised $1710 for Cosie’s treatment. To donate, go to givealittle.co.nz/cause/support-paul-cosie-cosgroves-fight-against-cancer.