Since his wife Leisa was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010, his personal life has also revolved around short-term goals.

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow.

Although considered treatable, it is incurable.

Leisa has spent the past four years in and out of hospitals in Melbourne and Ballarat.

She has undergone countless tests and bone biopsies, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, two stem cell transplants and a shoulder reconstruction.

Life has been a rollercoaster - not only for Leisa and Brad, but also for their children, Josh, 14, Ella, 7, and Chloe, 5.

‘‘You need to take it one day at a time,’’ Brad said.

‘‘You do whatever you need to get through the day. Then you go to bed, wake up and get through the next day.’’

Like with all cancers, there are good days and not-so-good days.

With Leisa back in Ballarat Base Hospital for treatment, the Cassidys are doing it tough.

But you will not hear them complain.

‘‘You try not to dwell on it, because you always think there are people out there doing it harder than you are,’’ Brad said.

‘‘It does test you sometimes, particularly emotionally.

‘‘We’ve certainly had some testing times since Leisa was first diagnosed.’’

Brad said the adversity came with silver linings.

‘‘You become very grateful and appreciative,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s a bit of a battle, but Leisa has a lot of support and love from family, friends and the community in general.’’

As the Stawell community – particularly the Stawell Warriors Football Netball Club – demonstrated with last year’s family fun day for former resident and cancer sufferer Belinda Scott, it takes care of its own.

Stawell netball director Susan Byron approached Brad about a similar family fun day in honour of Leisa.

Read Susan Byron's letter about Leisa here.

Brad said he was blown away by the request.

‘‘I felt a lot of different emotions. Shock was one of them,’’ he said.

‘‘Sometimes it’s hard to put into words how you feel.

‘‘I figured if people wanted to do this for us, then we had to embrace it.

‘‘It is a great feeling to think there are so many people behind us.’’

The Leisa Cassidy family fun day fundraiser will be at Central Park, Stawell, on February 15.

Susan said the money raised would go towards improving the Cassidys’ home.

‘‘Brad and Leisa are very proud people and have never complained or asked for anything,’’ she said.

‘‘A small group of her friends, Stawell Football Netball Club people and her family want to raise some money to help build an en suite for Leisa so she has easy access to her own bathroom.

‘‘This means she will not have to walk quite a distance to the family bathroom, which will be fabulous for her when she is so weak and unwell.

‘‘We have had some plans drawn up from what Leisa has told us she would like and we have some local tradesmen and people willing to help out with the project, but we need assistance with either products, money or time to help out.’’

Brad said everything raised would go towards improving Leisa’s life.

He said the organisers had done a significant amount of work for the event.

‘‘I don’t know all the details, because I want to be surprised on the day,’’ he said.

‘‘Hopefully, we get good weather. We want people to come along and have a good day of entertainment.

‘‘It’s an opportunity to celebrate with some good people and not have to worry about the headaches that go with day-to-day life.’’

Brad said the Warriors had rallied behind his family since day one.

‘‘When I got reappointed as coach last year, Leisa’s health wasn’t too bad,’’ he said.

Soon after he took on the role, Leisa’s health deteriorated rapidly.

By July, her white cell count was at three – the lowest it had been since her stem cell transplant – and she had developed an infection.

‘‘It was quite difficult, but I had a lot of help,’’ he said.

Leisa’s health had again improved before Brad signed on to lead the Wimmera Football League outfit again this year.

‘‘The players are certainly aware of the situation,’’ he said.

‘‘Having an assistant coach in Brad Thomas has already made things easier and the young guys and the leadership group have taken ownership of their training.

‘‘They are very supportive. They have a lot of resolve and that will help develop them as players.’’

Brad said he and Leisa were thankful to have such good friends.

‘‘That’s what life is all about – the relationships you build,’’ he said.

‘‘Football clubs are good for that. There are some really good people out there – it is a great community here in Stawell.’’

Brad said Leisa was looking forward to the family fun day.

‘‘At this stage she should be able to be there,’’ he said.

He said she was in relatively good spirits.

‘‘Some days she’s pretty good. Other days she struggles a bit. It really depends on her health,’’ he said.

Brad hopes Leisa will be well enough to return home at the weekend.

‘‘Chloe starts prep on Monday, so we’re hoping Leisa will be home for her first day of school,’’ he said. ‘‘It is moments like that when you can forget about the cancer stuff for a while.’’

Brad said it was important to concentrate on small milestones.

‘‘You need things to look forward to,’’ he said. ‘‘You need to try to have a normal life as much as you can.’’