Surely it'll be benign: A journey through brain cancer and beyond by Keith Brady

‘Keith faced into the storm, and kept on walking. What is truly inspirational is the way that he has approached each challenge – head on with gusto!’  Linda Clarke writes in the Foreword of Surely it’ll be benign. This remarkable book reveals Keith Brady’s positive mindset and his sheer bloody-minded determination to beat the odds after being diagnosed with a deadly brain cancer.

It all started one sunny Friday afternoon, when Keith had a massive headache that felt like his head was being squeezed in a vice, and he was taken to Whangarei Hospital. In this inspirational memoir, Keith writes from the heart as he shares the ups and downs of that fateful day and the battle with cancer from then on.  Believing his best chance of survival lies with modern medicine and the health professionals, he also has faith in himself to not give up hope as he faces this deadly challenge. That he is alive at all with Grade 4 Glioblastoma after this length of time, when looking at all the statistics, is something he is incredibly grateful for.

This is a very real book to read. There are shock and tears, but also laughter, hope, determination and refusal to give in, which makes this an uplifting account, and one that will be inspirational to other people and families in similar circumstances. Along the way he shares about his treatments, battles with the insurance company, and all the ins and outs of this new world, facing a devastating illness.

Keith has a down-to-earth, readable style that makes this an easy book to read, and his captivating personal story is complemented by many practical tips for others. What people will come away with is a fabulous sense of Keith as a person, his sense of humour in adversity, and his great love for his family, and also the many people who have helped him on this particular forced march along the way.

Surely it’ll be benign is a remarkable testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and Keith is inspirational in the way he lives life in the shadow of a deadly illness, with so much grace and determination to fight the odds.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Self Published