Nothing could prepare Matt for the roller-coaster ride his life would take in the subsequent 12 months.

Matt was on a high in January when his wife Tam gave birth to their daughter Sienna.

Around the same time Matt ? who was originally in the Navy and then law enforcement and other government agencies before joining the RAAF in 2005 ? started experiencing health issues.

Fatigue began affecting his everyday lifestyle and his weight fell away dramatically.

"I had no energy and I lost about 15 kilograms in a month, even though I was not doing anything differently," he said.

Matt hit a low point in February when he was diagnosed with Graves' disease, where the thyroid is overactive and a serious metabolic imbalance leads to the production of an excessive amount of thyroid hormones.

If left untreated, Graves' disease can be fatal while in most cases normal health can be restored.

"They tried to treat the disease but it did not work, so they had to take my thyroid out," Matt said. "I was just one of the few unlucky people who do not respond well to the available corrective medications.

"My only option was surgery."

Matt is now on the road to recovery and has returned to work this week ? just in time for Daffodil Day on Friday.

Before undergoing his operation in August, Matt put plans in place to ensure the RAAF Base was organised for the Cancer Council's biggest fundraiser of the year.

"I like to get involved with Daffodil Day because I have had a couple of family members battle cancer-related illness," he said. "It's something which touches everyone's lives in some way."