Wiltshire | Archive | 2004 | July | 8
From the Gazette & Herald, first published Thursday 8th Jul 2004.
GAZETTE & HERALD: The widow of policeman and father-of-four Rob Perkiss, who died last Friday, has told how he fought against cancer until the bitter end.
Sharon Perkiss, 34, of St Peters Close, Chippenham, fought back the tears as she told how her husband was determined to receive a `miracle' cure.
Mr Perkiss, 38, who had served as a police constable in Trowbridge, lost his fight after an 18-month struggle with epithelial sarcoma, cancer of the soft tissue.
He died at home with his wife and children.
"Rob was diagnosed with cancer in February 2003, but he had first noticed a mark like a bruise on his left thigh in 1992," said Mrs Perkiss.
"It didn't bother him though and he didn't really pay any serious attention to it until 2001, when he fell on it while chasing a suspect in Trowbridge.
"He started to feel unwell, more tired than usual, but he had only just started a job with the police and was so eager to do well, that I suppose he just put off doing anything about it," added Mrs Perkiss.
"But in November 2002, he had noticed that the patch of rough skin on his leg had grown and he had started to become easily tired. He also suffered night sweats, where he would be boiling hot one minute, then freezing cold.
"We went to the doctor and he was referred to a specialist and signed off work. By that time he was finding it difficult to even get out of the bath, he got so easily exhausted.
"I was very worried, but Rob was so committed to his job in the police force, he was only worried about how he was losing time off work."
On February 5, 2003, Mr and Mrs Perkiss received the shattering news that a biopsy of the lump on Rob's leg was malignant and that he was suffering from an inoperable form of soft tissue cancer, which was spreading to other parts of his body through his blood.
"We were devastated," said Mrs Perkiss.
"They told us that the cancer had spread into Rob's lungs and the X-rays showed white tumours dotted throughout his chest.
"We were told that chemotherapy was the best course of action and so began a year and a half of treatment.
"Rob was very poorly, but he was determined to beat the cancer."
The course of chemotherapy had good results and incredibly, Rob managed to take his wife and children on holiday while they waited for his next set of results.
"Rob was determined to get back to work he was so proud of being a police officer," said Mrs Perkiss.
"And he did go back. Just for a few hours a week at first, but before long he was back doing more hours and then even night shifts.
"He was such a positive, upbeat man, but at no time did he ever believe that what he had could kill him he wanted life above all else and to carry on working and being a husband to me and a dad to our children."
Last October Mr Perkiss and his wife went back to Bath's Royal United Hospital for his follow-up appointment and learned two more tumours had appeared on his lungs.
An operation to remove the tumours had to be aborted because complications arose.
"Rob was absolutely distraught when he realised he'd gone through the surgery with no real benefit," said Mrs Perkiss.
"He was in a bad way and was finding it very difficult to lie down because of the incisions which had been made in his side.
"Thankfully the Police Federation then stepped in and bought him a reclining chair, so he could sleep sitting up the police force have been so wonderful throughout all of this. Dame Elizabeth Neville has even been around to visit Rob and I know that meant so much to him."
In the following months Mr Perkiss developed a tumour on his brain and tumours on his spine, but throughout it all he insisted on receiving further courses of radiotherapy and chemotherapy to try and slow down the disease.
"We also tried special diets and Rob took drinks made from apricot kernels because I had read how they could slow down cancer," said Mrs Perkiss.
"I wanted to do all I could to keep him and Rob meanwhile continued to believe he would recover.
"Rob told me: `Whatever state I get in, even if I can't talk, keep on saying I want more treatment Sharon.'"
On Father's Day this year, Mr Perkiss was visited in hospital by his children, Kevin, 14, Amber, nine, Coral, five and Xavier, four.
They took cards and balloons and posed for pictures, but by then he had been advised by doctors that there was nothing more they could do.
Mrs Perkiss said: "He had been so upbeat throughout, that we had never even discussed whether he would want to come home. But I asked him and he said in his clearest voice in ages, "I need to go home."
"He was spending long periods sleeping and my mother-in-law Shirley came down to help us with the children," said Mrs Perkiss.
Mr Perkiss died at home last Friday.
"The children kissed him goodnight before going to bed the night he died.
"But I made sure they also saw him again once he had passed away," said Mrs Perkiss.
"All he wanted to do was to stay with us for as long as possible and he was so brave."
Mr Perkiss's funeral takes place today at 2pm at St Mary's Church, Station Hill, Chippenham. Donations to CancerResearch UK can be made via Jones Funeral Directors in Market Place, Chippenham.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008