They’re also the words Liam Woods held onto during his darkest days.
An alumnus of St Patrick’s Primary School Cessnock, St Joseph’s Catholic College Lochinvar and All Saints’ College Maitland, Liam’s journey with faith was tested in 2014 when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia at 27.
“I was tired, so I went to the doctor,” he said.
“I had a 15-month-old daughter, and my wife, Amanda, was seven months pregnant with our second child. I thought juggling work and family was why I felt rundown. But when the doctor walked in holding a file stamped ‘URGENT’ I knew something was wrong,” he said.
What followed was months of hospital stays, multiple rounds of chemotherapy, and a frantic search for a bone marrow match so Liam could receive a lifesaving transplant.
“We found close matches in the family, but not full matches. I had a rare diagnosis of leukemia, and I needed a perfect match to make things work,” he said.
A worldwide search led to a woman in Nashville, Tennessee. Liam’s nurses had just 48-hours to collect her bone marrow and fly it back to Australia for the transplant surgery.
“By then, our second daughter had arrived, but then I couldn’t see my family for three months because my immune system was so compromised,” he said.
Liam was given a 50-50 chance of survival. Without the transplant, his odds dropped to just 13 per cent.
“There was a time I didn’t think I’d see my girls grow up. I wrote them letters… just in case I didn’t make it,” he said.
Amid the battle, he wrestled with his faith.
“It’s a strange thing to grapple with. I had been to Catholic Schools my entire life, but you can’t help but wonder, as you’re going through something as horrible as cancer, why is this happening to me?
“It makes you question everything.
“But then, at the same time, I had the foundation of ‘strength in difficulties’ which I really drew inspiration from. I had support from my mates who I met at school, the backing and fundraising support from the Catholic community, the parish rallying behind not only me but also my family to make sure they were doing alright too… there was so much to be grateful for.”
Nine months in hospital took its toll physically, mentally and emotionally, but when Liam was discharged – 20 kilograms lighter – he was determined to find a new normal.
“I’d be completely out of breath after walking 10 metres. I had always been sporty, so this was a big shock to the system.
“The mental battle that came with that, along with feeling like a burden on Amanda and worrying about the financial burden of supporting my family… it was a hard 12 months.”
Fast forward one year, and Liam had beaten cancer. He was on his way to brighter days.
It’s been nearly a decade since then and Liam is happy, healthy and determined to raise awareness about cancer and the needs for transplant donors.
In 2023, he joined the Australian soccer team at the World Transplant Games in Perth and took home the gold.
In 2024, he captained Australia at the Transplant Football World Cup in Italy.
“These games remind us of who we are and what we can still achieve,” he said.
His hope is these games continue to generate awareness and make people think about donating organs, tissues and cells.
“People are unaware of the process to actually become a donor. It’s not on your licence anymore and you need to become registered through Medicare or DonateLife. It’s a separate system again to be a stem cell donor. It isn’t straightforward and I want to get the message out that it needs to be simplified” he said.
Beyond advocacy, Liam said the Games proves there is life after transplants.
“We might avoid slide tackles because of kidney and liver transplants, but we can still compete. We can still push ourselves.
“And the best part? The community. We share stories, we understand each other in a way no one else can. After cancer, you take life day by day, and we all just want to make the most of the time we have.”
Liam is doing just that.
This year, he was named Citizen of the Year at the Cessnock City Council’s Australia Day Awards for his work with The Leukaemia Foundation, Stem Cell Donors Australia, and Transplant Australia.
Now, he is preparing for the 2025 World Transplant Games in Dresden, Germany.
“I want my daughters to know that no matter the setback, you can always come back to who you are.
“Transplant recipients aren’t defined by their illness.
“I’m grateful to my donor for what she did for me. And I’m determined to use my second chance to make a difference,” he said.
“Strength in difficulties. It will stay with me forever.”
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