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<\/p>\nBrett Mckay was living his dream of travelling the world when he was thrust into a fight for his life.<\/p>\n
The New South Wales tradie had been suffering from back aches while in Banff, Canada, but brushed off his symptoms as work-related.<\/p>\n
He went to hospital in December 2024 when the pain became overwhelming and subsequent tests confirmed a diagnosis of testicular cancer, with tumours spreading to his kidney and liver.<\/p>\n
It was a crushing blow for his tight-knit family thousands of kilometres away in the regional town of Terranora, south of Tweed Heads.<\/p>\n
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NSW tradesman Brett Mckay died in January after a year-long battle with testicular cancer. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Once home and undergoing a gruelling treatment regime, Brett decided to use social media to keep his mates posted on his progress.<\/p>\n
But to his surprise, tens of thousands of viewers engaged with his videos and he clocked up 50,000 Instagram followers.<\/p>\n
“Hundreds of people were reaching out to him saying, ‘I think what you’re doing is awesome’,” younger brother Adam said.<\/p>\n
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Brett was working in Canada when he was diagnosed, and had to be medically evacuated home. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Just as in life, Brett was surrounded by love when he died at 26 on January 27, a little more than 12 months on from his initial diagnosis.<\/p>\n
‘This is heaven’<\/p>\n
Taking great delight in the company of his loved ones and the sweeping coastal landscape that inspired his nature photography, Brett had felt determined to try and beat the cancer.<\/p>\n
“He said day one of his diagnosis \u2026 ‘I want to be here, this is heaven’,” Adam said.<\/p>\n
That determination only grew when he met his girlfriend Reana while scrolling on a dating app during chemotherapy.<\/p>\n
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Adam (left) said Reana kept his brother’s spirits high during treatment. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Adam said his brother’s decision to date during treatment had raised eyebrows.<\/p>\n
“We came in, and she was actually sitting next to him in the hospital bed, and she walked up to dad and I, gave us a hug and a kiss and I knew from that moment she was special,” he said.<\/p>\n
Brett’s father, Michael, said he had no doubt Reana’s gentle spirit fuelled his son’s fight to live.<\/p>\n
“She was the reason he lasted a little bit longer,” he said.<\/p>\n
“She saw him at his best, and she saw him at his worst, and she was there when he passed.”<\/p>\n
Emotional rollercoaster![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/f20006b0640e0ef500d7db685a40967f.jpeg\")
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Michael (centre) was his son’s primary carer during his cancer treatment. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Brett was not given a prognosis when he was diagnosed, and there was initially hope the treatment was working when his tumour count got down to single figures.<\/p>\n
Adam said his brother had even considered deleting his social media so he could “just forget about the cancer”.<\/p>\n
“But then obviously the cancer had gotten worse, and he kept filming the videos,” he said.<\/p>\n
“He found joy in helping people and telling his story even through his own journey.”<\/p>\n
Within a matter of weeks, Brett’s tumour count jumped from seven to 75,000, with doctors saying there was nothing more they could do.<\/p>\n
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Brett passed away surrounded by loved ones. (Supplied)<\/p>\n
Adam said his brother soon became too weak to tick off the remaining items on his bucket list.<\/p>\n
“We had talked about a lot of things we wanted to do, like go on podcasts and talk about his journey and his story, skydiving, we had planned to go for a marathon in the new year,” he said.<\/p>\n
“His body just shut down too quick \u2026 I told him, ‘I’ll be with you to the end of the line’ and I was,” Adam said.<\/p>\n
“I held his hand as he took his last breath, and he wasn’t alone.”<\/p>\n
In the days before he died, Brett posted what would be his final video and thanked those who had followed his journey.<\/p>\n
“Love you all and I’m so grateful I’ve changed so many people’s lives and motivated that many people,” he said in the video.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know how much longer I have left.<\/p>\n
“I can’t change it but I’m not going down without a fight.”<\/p>\n
Patients getting younger<\/p>\n
An estimated 1,040 people were diagnosed with testicular cancer in Australia in 2025, with nearly 40 people estimated to have died from the illness last year.<\/p>\n
It is the most common cancer in men under the age of 40, with 2021 research suggesting the median age of diagnosis was about 35.<\/p>\n
But Cancer Australia medical director Vivienne Milch said some were getting diagnoses for testicular and other cancers much younger.<\/p>\n
“These cancers are caused by a complex interplay of several risk factors that might include changes in lifestyle, diet, obesity, environmental exposure and other factors,” she said.<\/p>\n
“But we really need more research to better understand the specific drivers of this trend.”<\/p>\n