Cancer survivors tell of how it shows no mercy, even to young people

They have all been diagnosed with cancer, and they are all sharing an important message - young people can get cancer, too.

They all started feeling ill and raised concerns with their GPs, with an inkling it was serious.

Jack Goldring, from East Mersea, started going to the doctors in October 2016 as he had a continual virus.

Last November, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkins Lymphoma.

Luckily, he was given the all clear last week but is raising awareness of the importance of seeking help.

Jack, 24, said: “I always felt like a had a cold. I kept going to the doctors’ but they said it was a virus.

“Then I found a lump under my arm which kept getting bigger. The GP told me to come back a month later to check on it.

“I had a biopsy about three months later and they told me it was Lymphoma.”

The lump came out of the blue, and kept getting bigger.

Jack said: “At first I wasn’t really worried, cancer didn’t even cross my mind.

“I’m a tree surgeon and the lump was getting really painful.

“Every time I was using my arms I could feel it.

“I had a gut feeling something wasn’t right, it turned out I was at Stage 3, which is just before it spreads to your organs.”

He said the GPs had been brilliant, but he wants people to feel they can push for a second opinion if they are worried.

He has been helped by charity Clic Sargent, which supports young people with cancer.

He added: “They have played a massive role in my diagnosis, I had six rounds of chemotherapy.

“I went to get the results last week and luckily for people like us it’s a curable cancer.

“I couldn’t believe it, it’s been a pretty tough ride but it’s over now.

“I just want to tell people to go to the doctors, don’t wait until things die down.”

Jack, who had moved to Colchester for work, had to move back in with his mum in East Mersea.

He said: “Throughout all of my treatment I have had a lot of support from my mum’s friends. They have cooked for us for six months every single week to feed me and my mum.”

He is now running the London Marathon next year for Clic Sargent. To support him, click here. 

His friend, Matthew Faint, knows all too well how cancer can hit anyone.

He was just 20 when he was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, like Jack.

Matthew, 21, from Brightlingsea, said: “I was diagnosed with Lymphoma in my neck in October last year. I was at work one day when a colleague told me my neck looked funny.

“I found a large lump, I went to the walk-in centre in Colchester who referred me to the GP.

“I had blood tests but they thought it was nothing, however, a week later they sent me to hospital.

“It was pretty awful as I was told about the cancer over the phone.”

He said it was a huge shock as he never thought he would experience it so young.

“My parents were heartbroken. I didn’t tell them I already knew about the cancer until we went back to the hospital.

“I wanted my consultant to tell them and I will never forget their faces,” he said.

Luckily he was quick to receive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

A recent scan found another lump, which could be a secondary type of cancer, so he had his tonsils removed as a precaution.

He has since had another biopsy and is waiting for the results.

He said: “I’m in limbo at the moment, but Clic Sargent have been great, they have offered a lot of support.

“This can happen to anyone at any time. Your life can be turned around at the tip of a hat.”

Steven Evans, from Colchester, was diagnosed with the same cancer around the same time as Matthew.

The 21-year-old has been in remission for three months after being treated for lumps in his neck, armpit, stomach and groin.

He said: “I was having really bad night sweats and was tired all the time.

“I then found a lump under my arm, I went to the GP but they didn’t think it was anything.

“I started having ultrasounds and they started finding more lumps. I had six months of chemotherapy, after two months they said I was basically all clear.”

He was not surprised when he received the diagnosis.

He added: “I had kind of diagnosed myself as I had researched everything.

“I was a lot happier when I was given the all clear. I just want people to know they are not alone, and if they need help, it’s there.”

Monique Buckingham, from Colchester, knows how frustrating it can be when it feels as though no-one is listening.

The 22-year-old has advanced bowel cancer, and now has a colostomy bag.

She had been going to her GP with stomach problems for five years, but it was put down to Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

It was not until she was rushed to hospital in January last year that she was diagnosed with cancer.

She said: “I started getting blood in my stools so when I last went to the doctor I mentioned the possibility of bowel cancer but they just brushed it off.

“It was quite frustrating, they couldn’t understand why I was there because I’m so young.”

She was with her family in Oxford just after Christmas and was in pain the whole time.

She said: “On the way home I just started being sick, my parents drove me to the nearest A&E which was in Watford.”

She had six hours of surgery after her bowel perforated, and she had to have her colon removed. She has been having chemotherapy since February last year.

She said: “I think more awareness is needed especially when young people are trying to speak up.

“I have been staying positive and pushing myself to get out. I’m not letting it limit me.”