For Greg and his wife Sascha, nothing could prepare them for the turmoil that 2020 would bring.

The free-spirited couple were doing what they loved most - travelling Australia with their camper trailer, when Greg suffered a stroke at their friend's house on the Sunshine Coast.

Greg was rushed by ambulance to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) where he was diagnosed as having a clot to the brain. For the next seven weeks, the 65-year-old spent his time in the stroke and rehabilitation units working to reverse the effects of the stroke.

With speech therapy and rehabilitation, Greg was able to regain his speech, movement slowly returned to his right arm and with the help of and AFO (ankle-foot orthosis) Greg was able to walk again. However four weeks into his treatment the couple received more heart-breaking news.

"After a month in hospital, Greg was diagnosed with cancer. He had tests done before the stroke and we were waiting on the results which came after the stroke.

During Greg's treatment, they were able to stay at one of Wishlist's accommodation facilities - a two-bedroom apartment gifted to Wishlist for patients and carers needing to be close to SCUH.

"We are so grateful for this accommodation. We needed to be close to hospital after he was discharged from the rehabilitation ward, we just wanted to be together and process the cancer diagnosis."

The couple, who met 20 years ago in Colombia and have spent most of the past two decades travelling the world and Australia, are now living in Caloundra making the best of the situation.

"We are just taking it day-by-day. We'll be here for at least the next three months trying to make the most of the time we have. It is what it is..."

Wishlist operates three accommodation facilities on the Sunshine Coast for those needing to stay close to a local hospital - Wishlist House in Birtinya, a two-bedroom apartment in Birtinya and Reed House at Nambour. For more information visit wishlist.org.au.