Life took an unexpectedly dire turn for 49-year-old Kelly Smith in August. “I was a fit and healthy surfing fanatic and father-of-two before doctors discovered a tumor on my brain,” Smith told Daily Mail in an exclusive interview. Smith who resides in Queensland grew up loving sports especially surfing and has been an instructor and photographer for the last two decades.

The passionate surfer had a perfectly happy life. He met his wife, Casey Smith, in 1995, and the couple have two children. Despite being 49, the surfing instructor prioritized fitness and health due to the demands of his profession. So it was an even greater shock when MRI and CT scans revealed a tumor the size of a Mandarin orange in his brain.

Smith chose to undergo immediate surgery following the results and remained optimistic. The Sunshine Coast resident’s long-time friend, Jamie Beal, shared that Smith hoped the tumor would be benign. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, and doctors estimated his life expectancy to be between three months and a couple of years. Still, Smith is hopeful for a bit more time.

“If Kelly can get another 5 years with his loved ones, he said that would be amazing. I know it’s strange for someone so young to wish for a few short years, but that’s the sad reality.” Beal wrote on the GoFundMe page he set up for the Smiths. However, all avenues for surfing teacher’s treatment are expensive hence the GoFundMe page.

“In support of Kelly and his family, we are hoping to reach a target of $250,000 (AUD),” reads the fundraiser page. The surgery has already affected the photographer’s quality of life. “His vision on a bright, sunny day is like wearing sunglasses at 6 pm.” Mr. Beal told the Daily Mail. Besides being dark, Smith’s vision is also grainy and feels “pixelated” according to his friend.

Jamie Beal also revealed that his friend was already three weeks into the chemotherapy and radiation therapy at the time of the interview. However, only a post-four-week scan will reveal if the surgery and treatment had any effect. It’s due to this uncertainty that the surfing fanatic and his family are looking for alternative treatments as well.

The surfing instructor and his family are banking on experimental treatment

Kelly Smith has no plans of stopping traditional treatment. However,

“they are exploring complementary treatments and clinical trials, (including MRNA, CART T, immunotherapy, etc.), which may extend the time Kelly has with his loved ones, or better yet – find a cure,” read the fundraiser page. The 49-year-old is hopeful because of the success of a previous case.

Professor Richard Scolyer, a pathologist, was diagnosed with a similarly aggressive brain cancer in June 2023. However, with the help of the Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA), which designed the world’s first brain cancer treatment plan, Scolyer’s cancer showed signs of remission. A year later, another MRI scan revealed that Scolyer hadn’t developed a second tumor. However, such treatments come at a high cost.

Beal initially tried to arrange clinical trials for his friend in the USA. However, he relented after discovering an incredibly expensive $1 million price tag. Hence, the family is asking for $250,000 to seek clinical trials in Australia. The surfing enthusiast’s fundraiser has met %15 percent of its goal so far, with 284 donations totaling $37,348 so far. Time will tell if Kelly Smith reaches his funding goal. Unfortunately, time is also something the Queensland resident doesn’t have.