Spotlight: Graham Donoghue
“I made a decision to not let it slow me down” Cancer and amputee patient Graham Donoghue looks to the future
65-year-old Graham Donoghue spent much of 2022 in debilitating pain. He was suffering from excruciating pain in his leg, which led him to “taking painkillers like they were candy.”
Finally, in April 2023, he was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, a type of cancer that forms in the lining of blood vessels and lymph vessels. A later surgery would find the cancer wrapped around the nerves in his leg from hip to foot.
The next nine months of chemotherapy and radiation wreaked havoc on his body and leg, causing extensive nerve damage, while the wound from the initial biopsy wouldn’t heal.
It was clear that stronger measures were needed.
His care team at Mt. Sinai told him that amputation was the only option – his leg was far too damaged to be saved.
Despite the difficult news, Graham was able to think positively – knowing that he could still play golf with a prosthesis. But soon, even more devastating news came. With his leg marred by lumps right up to his hip, Graham would not be eligible for a prosthetic. He says, “That was earth-shattering.”
Soon after, in February 2024, the operation went forward on a Monday and by Thursday, he was at West Park.
While the devastation over the loss of his leg was strong, Graham didn’t let that stop him – he was up on his walker within a few days. He says, “I made a decision to not let it slow me down.”
And he didn’t. With West Park’s rigorous rehabilitation schedule, he was doing an hour of physiotherapy a day, strengthening his leg, improving balance, learning to walk with a walker and live without the use of his leg.
The staff were “spectacular” he says. “Between the nurses and the therapists, it’s just been…amazing. I can’t thank them enough for all they’ve done for me. It changed my whole outlook on life. My whole approach to life is way more positive and optimistic.”
A weekend trip back home to his newly retrofitted house – now with grab-bars and ramps – showed Graham just how much he could do despite the loss of a limb.
As he says “Between what they taught me here and what I found I could do at home…my life’s going to be fine. I’m going to be good.”
I’m going to play golf one day on one leg…that’s my goal. I don’t know when, but I’m going to keep working out, working on my balance. The human spirit’s pretty indomitable. You can whine or you can face it and deal with it. I’ve chosen to deal with it.”
