Dying punter's big race dream shattered

Richard Hawthorne wants to sell his Melbourne Cup tickets after not being fit enough to fly there any more. Photo / George Novak

A Tauranga bus driver with terminal cancer is hoping another punter will snatch up his tickets to the Melbourne Cup, as his illness has stopped him crossing the ditch.

Doctors have told Richard Hawthorne, 67, his cancer is terminal and he is too ill to travel to Melbourne next week on a dream trip his Go Bus workmates surprised him with.

Knowing it had always been Mr Hawthorne's dream to attend the biggest horse-racing event of the year in Melbourne, his workmates had a secret whip-round and in 24 hours raised money to buy an all-expenses paid trip for two, with prime tickets for next week's Melbourne Cup, including three nights' accommodation.

"I've been a real keen race-horse fan all my life, it's been on my wish list," Mr Hawthorne said. "So they took a collection, which is tremendous among people who usually aren't very well paid.

"Some of them only get $16 an hour and work 60 hours a week just to get an income, it's just tremendous they put it together to raise this sort of money."

Since the surprise however, Mr Hawthorne's health has deteriorated so much he is no longer able to make the journey.

"Early last week, the top of my stomach started swelling quite dramatically. By Saturday I was in extreme pain. I had swelled like a woman having a child ... I knew I was in quite a bit of trouble, we went to the hospital and we found there was a pool of fluid that had been produced from the cancer.

"They took out six litres of fluid. From that I realised I wouldn't be able to go ahead with the trip my mates had planned for me."

Mr Hawthorne's close friend and work mate who organised the gift, Ken Burnside, said they hoped to sell off the package to another punter before the end of the week so Mr Hawthorne would be able to use the money for something closer to home.

"Unfortunately, with Richard's deterioration we are looking for other people to take the package to help him get some of that money we did raise, so all will not be lost from all the workers and workmates."

That it had taken just over 24 hours to raise the money was testament to the love and respect Mr Hawthorne's colleagues had for him, Mr Burnside said.

Mr Hawthorne is now receiving hospice care at home after doctors abandoned treatment.

Diagnosed with a tumour covering three quarters of his bladder two years ago, Mr Hawthorne had since endured surgery and two 18-week rounds of chemotherapy but doctors said the treatment was no longer working.

The $2500 package includes
• Transfers from Melbourne airport
• Three nights' accommodation in the Queen Room at the Causeway Inn
• High tea at the Hotel Windsor
• Precinct tickets on the hill side grandstand at the 2014 Melbourne Cup Day.

For more information head to Trade Me and check out the auction.