Sharon Juliartha has been facing the excruciating reality of her father's cancer treatment being delayed due to a hospital bed being unavailable.
After fracturing his spine, Robert Keenan has been unable to start chemotherapy for stage 4 pancreatic and liver cancer until he receives treatment for his spinal injury.
Mr Keenan's predicament has left Ms Juliartha and her family feeling powerless.
"It's been terrible to watch Dad like that," she told Jo Trilling on ABC Radio Perth.
"Knowing he has this ticking time bomb inside of him … there's nothing I can do."
But Ms Juliartha felt motivated to act when she remembered some fatherly advice.
"My dad taught me that the one that talks or yells the loudest will be heard," she said.
"And I said, 'You've got me, Dad. I'm gonna get heard.'"
Ms Juliartha said she had been forced to fight for her father to receive urgent treatment in Perth hospitals.
'No beds available'
When Mr Keenan was diagnosed with cancer in April, his family acted quickly to get him an oncology appointment.
But before he could start cancer treatment, Mr Keenan was seriously injured in a fall.
On May 14, Mr Keenan was taken by ambulance to Joondalup Health Campus with five cracked ribs and a more serious fracture in his spine.
Mr Keenan was told he was unable to commence his cancer treatment until he was fitted with a brace at Royal Perth Hospital's spinal unit.
However, no beds were available in the unit.
Ms Juliartha said a week went by as Mr Keenan waited in Joondalup Health Campus to be transferred Royal Perth Hospital once a bed became available.
"The urgency right here for us now is he needs to get in there to get that [cancer] treatment," she said.
"And so every day they will just say, 'There's no bed available, there's no bed available'.
"There was no other reasoning why."
Appealing to Health Minister
Mr Keenan's family are anxious for him to start his crucial cancer treatment.
Ms Juliartha says her family feels hurt by unclear communication and continual delays in Mr Keenan's scheduled transfer to the spinal unit.
Last week, not knowing what else to do, Ms Juliartha shared their story on social media and has been overwhelmed by the support she received online.
She also wrote to Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, Premier Mark McGowan and her local MP.
"Please, we are desperate for him to get treated for his spinal fractures so we can get him started on the treatment for his Stage 4 pancreatic and liver cancer," Ms Juliartha wrote.
Finally, late on May 21, after a week of delays, Mr Keenan was transferred to Royal Perth Hospital to be fitted with a brace.
He will remain in the hospital for several days to undergo physiotherapy.
Once Mr Keenan is discharged, he will be to start chemotherapy next week.
Beds given based on urgency: EMHS
Ms Juliartha said speaking up about her experience on social media felt like the only way to get her dad into the spinal unit.
"I don't know if it's from what I've done on social media and reaching out to the ministers, but my dad is in there now," she said.
A spokesperson for East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS), the operator of Royal Perth Hospital, said Mr Keenan was transferred within an "appropriate time frame" of less than seven days.
"Royal Perth Hospital is responsible for the treatment of the patient's spinal injury only, and not the treatment of any other medical conditions," a written statement said.
"Royal Perth Hospital is home of the WA State Spinal Service, and bed allocations to the Spinal and Orthopaedic ward are prioritised according to the degree of medical urgency."
The spokesperson said Mr Keenan did not require surgery, but a brace was prepared prior to his admission and then fitted on arrival.
