A Sydney father-to-be has been given the heartbreaking prognosis he will never be able to talk again following an operation to remove his tongue.

Family and friends have rallied around emergency services worker Sean Finnerty after he was recently diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma- a rare cancer in the salivary glands.

The 15-year survival rate of patients in Australia is 40 per cent.

The shocking diagnosis came months after he and his wife of almost two years Jess found out they were expecting their first child, a baby boy due in October.

He will undergo surgery next month to remove his tongue, which means he won't be able to speak or communicate verbally. 






Sean Finnerty was diagnosed months after he and his wife Jess found out they were expecting their first child. Their baby boy is due in October


Mr Finnerty will also be unable to eat solid food for the unforeseeable future.

He will also be forced to give up his career as a fireman and paramedic, unable to ever work again in either profession. 

'By the time their baby boy is born, Sean will have had surgery and radiation to attempt to limit the chance of the cancer returning,' a GoFundMe page states.

'Sean will miss being able to ever talk to his little boy by a matter of weeks.'

The fundraising page to help relieve the massive financial burden facing Mr Finnerty and his wife in the future has already raised almost $120,000 in two days. 






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Sean will be unable to speak or work as a fireman or paramedic again after he undergoes surgery to remove his tongue. He's pictured with wife Jess on Crystal Holidays in Hawaii two years ago


'He will need support from his loved ones to get through this and if we could somewhat relieve the financial burden it will help tremendously with the stress he's already dealing with,' organiser Luke Rogerson wrote.

'Sean is one of the most selfless people I have ever met, throughout this whole ordeal he just worries more about how his family is than himself.

Mr Rogerson has been overwhelmed by the support that has flooded the fundraising page has recent days.

'This is incredible, the love and support Sean has received from all of you... I can't even put the feelings into words,' he wrote.

'Sean and his family are overwhelmed, it's beautiful to see. So many generous people I can't even begin to explain how much this will help Sean though this difficult time.'






Almost $120,000 has already been raised to ease financial pressure on the parents-to-be




Read more:

Fundraiser by Luke Rogerson : Sean Finnerty & his battle with Cancer