A Wolverhampton father who beat cancer and his son who took part in Race For Life last year are promoting this year's event in the West Midlands.
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00:00Three, two, one.
00:12I was diagnosed in November 23.
00:16And it was only because they sent the test through the post.
00:22And I did the test.
00:24And it was only because my cousin had passed away.
00:27It suddenly, I'd better check myself out.
00:30And luckily the test came through.
00:33And the results came back and I had to go for biopsies.
00:37And then when we went for the biopsy,
00:40the surgeon had us both in the room.
00:46I thought it was just normal procedure.
00:48They called my wife in as well.
00:50And then they informed me that I'd got bowel cancer.
00:54I'd seen lesions on my bowel.
00:57And the time it was cancer.
00:59And from that point I blanked out.
01:01I'd been taking what he was telling me.
01:03Or what was being said.
01:06And then when he finished, I casually got up and said,
01:10thanks doctor.
01:11And walked out of the room.
01:12And it was until I got home and my wife says to me,
01:14do you understand what he said to you?
01:17And I says, what did he say to me?
01:19He said, you've got cancer.
01:20And then he hit me.
01:21I've got cancer.
01:23It's just, wow.
01:25I had to have surgery for the bowel cancer itself.
01:28So I have a temporary ileostomy bag attached to me.
01:33Hopefully that should be taken off real soon.
01:35So after that surgery, I had to have more tests to see if it was successful.
01:43Luckily for me, it wasn't successful.
01:45Well, the operation itself was successful in really touching the bowel and stuff.
01:49But then they told me that the cancer had gestated,
01:52which means it had moved and it had attached itself to my liver.
01:56They told me it was going to be palliative care initially.
02:01And that's why they tried the chemo to see if it would shrink.
02:05And luckily for me, it did shrink.
02:16The chemo really, really battered my body.
02:18I had every side effect going.
02:20Sickness, nausea, diarrhea,
02:24rashes around my face and my hands,
02:27horses in my mouth.
02:29And it was brutal.
02:30It really was.
02:32But luckily for me,
02:35the 12 sessions were to trump the cancer enough.
02:39Initially, there was three lesions on my liver.
02:42But when I had the surgery, they removed five.
02:45So that's how fast it was gestating.
02:47And I had that surgery in November of 24.
02:52So the whole of 24 was just me having surgeries and chemotherapy.
02:57So I totally missed that year, really, when you think about it,
03:01because my life was spent in hospital.
03:06My wife got me through.
03:07She's an absolute trooper.
03:09The kids, they got me through as well,
03:11because they handled the situation amazingly.
03:14And my family and friends.
03:16I've got a real good family and friends as well.
03:18And everybody supported me.
03:20Friends from work as well.
03:21It was just a rock.
03:27My son.
03:28He's got issues of his own,
03:30but he's absolutely amazing.
03:32When I was first diagnosed with cancer,
03:35he told his mum he wanted to do something to help his dad.
03:39And they came up with the idea to do the Race for Life.
03:44And so he went on the Race for Life and he put his profile on.
03:49And then his sister, my older daughter,
03:51she says, well, I'll help.
03:53I'll join you.
03:54I'll join you.
03:55And then he raged 3,000 pounds.
03:57Between them they raged 4,000 pounds.
03:59Then we went to watch them do the Race for Life.
04:02And they were amazing.
04:03He was absolutely amazing.
04:05He was a little superhero.
04:07He's the Robin to my Batman.
04:09So, yeah, he was a little trooper.
04:12I was so proud of him and my daughter-in-law
04:19for doing that and doing our little part
04:23to raise awareness of cancer
04:25and money towards the research.
04:27So, yeah, it was all good.
04:33If it wasn't for the research,
04:35I probably wouldn't be here now speaking
04:37because the research they've done within the last 10 years
04:41has come on amazingly.
04:43And it's because of that research
04:45why I'm able to be here now speaking realistically
04:48if you weight up realistically
04:50because if this had happened 10 years ago,
04:52I might not be here.
05:11I'd say to anybody to get themselves checked out,
05:16especially in the black community.
05:20Your prostate is the most common in the black community,
05:24but any form, your prostate, your bowel, your pancreas,
05:28your liver, your heart, just go and check yourselves out.
05:31That's what I'd say.
05:32It's a simple procedure and it could save your life.
05:41what's your favorite part?
05:43That's the best way of defining theкими
05:57parts of theJa Recuberance.
05:59That's the best way of making you a friend.