Hi, I'm Jack, in 2017 my life was turned upside down. It all started in August when I was ill, terrible headaches, feeling sick, worst I have ever felt in my life. The doctors said it was an Ear Infection and told me to go on holiday with some anti-biotics. Little did we know that this glamping holiday would be the worst of our lives. The first night I was in and out of consciousness, Parents panicked, no phone signal. So had to wake up the farmer and his family at midnight. I then remember "waking up" in Yeovil Hospital, Huge sign on the door... "Infectious, KEEP OUT!" After having an MRI they found something worrying so sent me to High dependency ward in Bristol Childrens Hospital. I had to have emergency surgery to my brain to remove a cist that was blocking the main tube that takes fluid out of your brain causing the Hydrocephalus. That was what was causing the awful headaches. I can remember leaving this hospital six days later only to be told we still had to stay in Bristol pending results on the biopsy.

Anyway, finally got back home, with a follow-up appointment with the neurological team at Queens medical hospital due in 3 months time. December came around and I started to feel ill again just before my check-up. Blue-lighted to Queens Medical Hospital...Hydrocephalus again this time caused by a brain tumor! After a 13 hour operation, I was taken back to E40 and sent home awaiting news of my treatment. I was lucky, they told me they had removed ALL of the tumor so "only" FOUR lots of chemo would be needed. Each course was six days staying in hospital and 3 daycare days (Lincoln to Nottingham)...rinse and repeat every two weeks!

Chemo was done, now time for radiotherapy, six weeks going to and from Nottingham, EVERYDAY. Over 3108 miles in the car. Only to be told that they had found a tumor at the bottom of my spine half way through and that my treatment had been changed. They were now aiming for my spine as well as where the tumor was situated in my brain. 

Went back to school but now put back a year. Went for another MRI and was told there was now a second tumor in my spine, this time at the top. Another operation was due this time to take this tumor (and bits of spine) out. More Chemo, this time from an American research study, "Gempox". Two rounds of this chemo later and I was told it was not effective! The very next day the phone rang and it was Prof Grundy, he said "Never mind what I said yesterday, it is effective, it just takes a while to react." My AFP (Cancer markers) in my blood were going down, it was now low enough to be suitable for high chemo!

High chemo would basically "hard reboot" my body. Six weeks of complete isolation. My STEM cells were re-introduced into my body and I was taken back to Queens for the recovery. I was lucky, a lot of people in a similar boat cannot have their own STEM cells to put back into their body, this is why donating blood, really is so important. 

When I started to feel better, I was sent for 3 more weeks of radiotherapy. I finished this on the 9th of August 2019. 2 entire years of my life taken away because of this horrible, brutal "thing" that is cancer. 

Now, nearly three years down the line, I feel I am in a place where I can start to repay the doctors, surgeons and nurses. Thanks to them, I have passed my driving test, in my 2nd year of college, waiting to go to university and working part-time. I could not have done any of this without the care and support of Prof Grundy and his fantastic team at QMC. 

Despite how cancer and the treatment has affected me, I am one of the lucky ones, even though I am still having to have MRI's and blood tests. I have lost several friends to this terrible disease throughout this "journey" so I am also 'doing this for them', as well as for the Queens Hospital Charity.

I have been in and out of that hospital for over three years now and there is hardly ever spare beds across the two wards! Children of all ages from babies to teenagers.

I know times are hard and the cost of LIVING is spiraling but if you can spare just a pound it would help me raise funds for the Hospital, enabling them to continue their lifesaving work.

Thank You.