“If it wasn’t for my daughter, I would have had to sell up.”
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Daryl Cordy knows all too well the conflicting demands of cancer care, especially for farmers.
His treatment for prostate cancer has taken him away from his dairy cattle business Peppermint Vale Holsteins & Jerseys, but thanks to his daughter, Jasmine Cordy, he still lives on his farm in Mooroopna North West.
Daryl’s wife, Rowena Cordy, has also been a key supporter through his treatment.
“She’s been with me all the way through it,” Daryl said.
Through every appointment and treatment, Rowena has been beside Daryl, even amid her own health challenges.
“We sob together, we laugh, we both have each other's back,” Daryl said.
Rowena helps advocate for him and “asks questions even I don’t think of”.
Daryl has lived in Mooroopna his whole life and spent many years working on farm.
He was set up with Rowena by a staff member at a bar while she was working in Kyabram.
Daryl was diagnosed after issues with placing a catheter during a knee replacement in 2025.
Investigating the cause of the problem eventually led to Daryl undergoing a PET scan in Melbourne.
He had a urinary blockage in 2020 that did not put him on the path to a diagnosis, but could have been an early sign.
“I hadn’t been down to Melbourne in 20 years,” Daryl said.
His brother drove him down, and Daryl said that without him he “would have been lost”.
Daryl was lucky enough to be able to stay with a relative who only lives 10 minutes away from the hospital where he had his scan.
The travel meant that he had to spend two nights away from home.
If he had been able to get the scan in Shepparton, he would have been able to stay at home, which would have “made a big difference”.
Daryl’s father was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 50, and Daryl recalls how it affected his life.
“It was hard on him to be away,” Daryl said.
The oncology nurses involved with Daryl’s care have also been some of his core supporters.
“The nurses are brilliant, they talk you through everything, and they’re always on your side,” he said.
“My experiences have been good, I’m a glass-half-full kind of guy.”
Daryl’s positive attitude is relentless. Despite the challenges that have been thrown his way, he still manages to laugh and treasure his life.
“I hit it head on with a smile on my face,” he said.
“The first thing you have to do is accept it, and when you accept it things don't worry you.”
Daryl considers himself lucky to have a good prognosis because he has known many men who have had the disease, including some who have died because of it.
“It seems like every second bloke has had it,” Daryl said.
Thankfully, Daryl has found that attitudes have shifted towards more open and honest conversations about men’s health.
“People are getting more talkative about it,” he said.
Daryl encourages men over 40 to monitor their prostate health, which can now be done through a simple blood test.
“It’s a silent thing, you don’t know it’s there until it’s too late,” he said.
Daryl still has to go through eight weeks of radiation therapy in Shepparton, and is looking forward to living as long as possible.
The GV Health Foundation is calling on individuals, businesses and community groups to donate to its $5 million I Care for Cancer Care @ GV Health fundraising appeal to help bring first-class cancer care to the Goulburn Valley.
Donations can be made via the foundation’s website.
Community members interested in the various opportunities to contribute to and support the appeal can contact Amy De Paola via email at amy.depaola@gvhealth.org.au