AFL young gun Calsher Dear in desperate bid to unlock late famous father’s medical secrets
Rising Hawthorn star Calsher Dear is spearheading a heartbreaking campaign to unlock his legendary late father’s medical secrets.
He is lobbying lawmakers to allow unimpeded genetic testing in a bid to help thousands of Australians.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Calsher Dear in campaign to unlock late father’s medical secrets.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Dear is an AFL young gun bursting with talent, some of that talen no doubt inherited from his late father ... Hawthorn legend Paul Dear.
It’s two years since Calsher Dear and his family lost Paul to pancreatic cancer.
But since then, the family has grieved and wondered if he passed on more than athletic ability to his kids.
“We don’t know a lot about the genetic predisposition to the type of cancer that Paul had,” Cherie Dear, Calsher’s mother, told 7NEWS.
A sample of Paul’s blood is saved and would unlock the mystery, but testing hasn’t happened because in Australia it’s legal for life insurers to use genetic test results to bump up premiums or refuse cover.
Monash University’s Dr Jane Tiller says “genetic test results can save people’s lives”.
“And people who don’t want to have have genetic testing because they’re afraid of insurance, that can cost lives,” she said.
Last September, the Albanese Government promised to introduce new laws banning genetic discrimination by insurers.
Despite bipartisan, insurance council and crossbench support, the change still hasn’t happened, and now there’s only a handful of parliamentary sitting days left before the next election.
Independent senator David Pocock says there is support across the Parliament to legislate this now.
“This is life-saving,” Pocock said.
More than 2,000 worried Australian have written to local MPs calling for the change.
The Federal Government has told 7NEWS it’s still working on the new laws.
“Time is running out,” Dr Tiller said.
“But we are asking the Government to really pay attention to it and prioritise this (issue).”
Calsher told 7NEWS: “I know he’s up above watching over me ... (but) we just want action to be taken.”
Originally published on 7NEWS Sport
