“They [doctors] reckoned I was 48 hours away from not making it,” Mr O’Connor said.

In late January 2018, the 86-year-old had food poisoning and became lethargic during the days that followed.

“Geoff said to me, ‘you should be at the hospital – you look like death warmed up’.”

“But with my Irish stubbornness, I kept saying I’ll be alright,” he said.

However, Mr Lewis began early the next day and said he was worried about Mr O’Connor.

“So he rang for an ambulance against my protestation,” Mr O’Connor said.

After some initial tests at Yass Hospital, he was sent to the Infectious Diseases Unit at Canberra Hospital as a matter of urgency.

Mr O’Connor spent about a week there, undergoing further tests (including x-rays, ultrasounds and blood tests) that confirmed that he had sepsis, also called septicaemia.

Healthdirect by the Council of Australian Governments describes it as a “serious blood infection caused by bacteria”.

“Sepsis is a medical emergency and can be fatal if not treated quickly,” it says.

Following his stay in Canberra, Mr O’Connor was transferred back to Yass Hospital where he attended every day for six weeks for treatment.

On the second last day of treatment, he said to the hospital staff “tomorrow, I’ll be finished with all of this”.

“At last,” he said.

However, his joy in late March was short lived.

“I had a phone call from my doctor at Yass Medical Centre.

“He said ‘I’ve got the results of the second ultrasound and you’ve got breast cancer – you’ve got a lump in your right breast’,” Mr O’Connor said.

Asked about his reaction, he said it was “Jesus, but I’m a male”.

“I had no inkling of a lump in my breasts – nothing,” he said.

Surgery was organised almost immediately for early April.

“I had already booked accommodation and tickets to the Rugby 7s in Hong Kong, but the doctor said ‘you’re not going nowhere’,” Mr O’Connor said.

As well as a mastectomy of his right breast, other procedures included a mammogram and biopsy.

“I was given the options of complete breast removal or removal of just the lump.

“I went for the former option. At 86 years of age, it was the safer option – believe me,” he said.

During the period, his Hong Kong–based daughter, Cara Mayega, flew home to be with him and to provide additional care.

While his treatment for sepsis finished in March and breast-cancer surgery was conducted in April, Mr O’Connor fully recovered only recently.

“They told me I’d have very limited movements of my right arm for a while and had to do physio.

“While I can’t lift very much, I can still move it,” he said.

The experience has shaken Mr O’Connor and he said it has made him think.

“It’s made everybody think, really.”

Mr O’Connor has also donated funds to Yass Valley Can Assist (YVCA) and said he hoped his story spreads awareness about the rarity of cancer in male breast tissue and men’s health in general.

“Men in the valley need to be more proactive about their health,” he said.

Cancer Australia states that while breast cancer is uncommon in men (less than one per cent of all breast cancers), it is still an occurrence.

“It's important for men who find a change in their breasts not to let embarrassment or uncertainty prevent them from seeing their doctor without delay.

“Early detection and treatment are the best way to survive the disease,” it states.

YVCA president and Yass Valley councillor Geoff Frost thanked Mr O’Connor for his donation.

“He’s always been generous with the community and he’s very community minded as an ex-councillor.

“We’re glad to be a charity he’s chosen to support,” Cr Frost said.

“More often, it’s usually prostate cancer. But again, it’s about getting tested early, which can save a lot of lives,” he said.

Mr O’Connor thanked the medical personnel in Yass and Canberra, saying they were terrific for “bearing with me”.

But he saved his biggest thanks and appreciation for Mr Lewis.

“I owe him my life, really.

“If he hadn’t noticed me in that condition, I wouldn’t be here today,” he said.