Life was good for the father of two.

He was happy working by his wife Carla’s side as an IT manager and spending weekends with his family at their Rutherford home.

That picture perfect existence all came tumbling down when Mr Lennox, 31, was diagnosed with a rare tumour normally found in children and likely to claim his life within 12 months.

“Greg started to feel generally unwell with a lot of aches and pains in his back and abdomen,” Mrs Lennox said.

“He was usually fit and well, playing outdoor and indoor cricket and we thought he may have pulled some muscles,” she said.

A few weeks later he was experiencing pain under his ribs Mr Lennox went to his doctor who said he probably had a stomach ulcer.

“He went to Dubbo to play cricket and fell ill,” Mrs Lennox said.

“He came home and went to Maitland Hospital and straight into surgery where doctors found a 14.5 centimetre tumour on his omentum, a wall which connects the stomach with other abdominal organs. They also found an extensive amount of tumours,” she said.

Desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor is an aggressive and rare cancer that primarily occurs as masses in the abdomen. Other areas of the body may also be affected.

The tumour is classified as a soft tissue sarcoma. It is considered a childhood cancer that predominantly strikes boys and young adults.

“It’s an extremely rare cancer found in children and rarely found in adults. There aren’t many cases in the world. There is no cure, the only thing that may shrink it is chemotherapy but it is a type of cancer that will always come back,” Mrs Lennox said.

Mr and Mrs Lennox do not have private health cover and were told there would be a four week wait to see an oncologist.

“Because this is such an unusual case a leading Sydney oncologist who works from the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Institute was going to take on Greg, however Greg is now too sick to travel and we will start the initial treatment with Dr Tony Bonaventura who is the oncology director at The Mater Hospital .

“Our initial treatment is free however if the cancer does not respond we will have to look at another type of chemotherapy treatment  which will cost between $200,000 and $300,000 and is not on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme,” Mrs Lennox said.

Mr Lennox had his appendix out in 2013 and at that time had ultrasounds which did not show any tumours. Mrs Lennox said doctors believe her husband’s cancer manifested itself over the last 12 months.

To help Mr Lennox with his treatment Maitland Indoor Sports Centre has organised a charity cricket day that will be held on September 24.

Two cricket competitions will be held on the day along with raffles that will include rugby league and cricket memorabilia.

 A Go Fund Me page has also been established with $11,000 already raised.

“Greg has been so sick and Hayden knows he can’t wrestle with daddy anymore,” Mrs Lennox said.

“We have told him and our daughter Gabrielle who is five that dad is very sick and will probably lose his hair.

“We recently lost a friend to cancer and the kids know that cancer means death.

“I keep thinking this is not happening to us and that it’s happening to someone else but the reality has now set in,” Mrs Lennox said.