A carpenter who helped build the Love Island villa has launched a plea for help after receiving the devastating news that his wife has an aggressive form of breast cancer. Dave Gawler, 58, known affectionately as 'Big Dave', had just returned from constructing the Love Island: All Stars villa in South Africa when he and his wife Bell, 50, faced a life-altering diagnosis.
The Discovery
In early December, Bell complained of tenderness and discomfort while sleeping at their home in Ashford, Kent. Initially, the couple dismissed it as an ingrown hair or a blocked milk duct. However, one morning Bell noticed her nipple had temporarily inverted, prompting her to see a doctor. Dave, who also worked on sets for Spider-Man and The Lord of the Rings, recalled: 'I had been in South Africa helping to get the Love Island: All Stars villa ready, but I couldn't wait to get home. A couple of days after I returned, Bell said her breasts felt tender. She felt around and thought something wasn't right.'
After a mammogram and biopsy, tests revealed a cancerous tumour in Bell's breast that had spread to her bones. She was diagnosed with stage four HER2 breast cancer, an aggressive and incurable form requiring chemotherapy. The family is now raising funds via GoFundMe to manage the coming months.
The Diagnosis
Dave described receiving the news from two Macmillan nurses and a doctor as 'absolutely horrific' and the 'longest 40 minutes of my life'. 'When we walked in and saw the Macmillan nurses, I knew it was cancer. It was knee-buckling. Bell was shaking, in floods of tears. We left numb, and then we had to tell our children.'
Dave and Bell share two children: Ronnie, 17, a scholar at League Two club Bromley, and Dixie, 16, who had to sit mock GCSE exams days after the news. Dave said: 'I was holding back tears, trying to tell them it would be okay. Dixie had to carry on with her exams, and Ronnie needed to stay focused on football. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. You feel powerless as a husband and a dad.'
Treatment and Hope
Bell began her first round of chemotherapy last week, with treatment scheduled until mid-July, after a minor delay caused by a doctor's error. She will also undergo a mastectomy. While her cancer is not curable, it is treatable, and recent medical advances offer hope. According to the NHS, more than 25% of women diagnosed with breast cancer live for at least five years after diagnosis.
The family remains positive. A GoFundMe page, set up by a friend with Dave's reluctant permission, has raised over £1,400. Dave said: 'I didn't want to set one up; it felt like begging. But we've been overwhelmed with support. We have to be optimistic, but it's hard.'
