In January 2008, at just eight years old, life as he knew it began to change. What started as an ache in his right leg — a nagging pain in his shin that came and went — seemed harmless enough. Doctors thought it was growing pains or shin splints, a common issue for active children. But the pain didn’t fade. It grew sharper, deeper, and harder to ignore.
Eventually, swelling appeared along his right tibia, and doctors began to suspect an infection. The new diagnosis — osteomyelitis, a bone infection — brought hope of an easy fix. A round of antibiotics followed. But still, nothing changed. The pain lingered, relentless and mysterious.
Finally, doctors at Bristol Children’s Hospital decided to perform a biopsy. What they discovered would change everything.
It wasn’t an infection.
It was Ewing sarcoma — a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.
“I was only eight,” he recalls, “and suddenly my whole world became about hospitals, chemotherapy, and surgery. Everything changed overnight.”
A Year of Chemotherapy and Courage
Treatment began immediately. He started an intense year-long course of chemotherapy at Bristol Children’s Hospital, and soon after, underwent major surgery at The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital in Birmingham to fit an internal prosthesis extending from mid-femur to his ankle.
It was a grueling experience for a young child. “The chemotherapy made me feel extremely weak and tired,” he remembers. “There were days when I could barely move. I’d get high fevers between treatments and end up back in hospital again. But I was lucky — I made it through without any serious infections.”
Throughout that year, his life became a cycle of hospitals, needles, and nausea — but also of quiet bravery. Every small victory mattered: a meal eaten, a walk to the hospital corridor, a night without fever. His parents stood by his side through it all, holding onto hope.
Then, on December 14th, 2008, just before Christmas and his ninth birthday, came the words they had been longing to hear:
“You’re in remission.”
The chemotherapy had worked. After a year of endless challenges, he was finally free of cancer. “It was the best feeling ever,” he says simply. “I felt like I had my life back.”
The Long Road After Cancer
But remission was not the end of his journey — it was the beginning of another kind of battle. Between 2009 and 2016, he underwent multiple surgeries in Birmingham to improve the function of his internal prosthesis. Scar tissue built up, causing adhesions that limited movement in his knee. Each operation brought hope — and each recovery demanded strength.
“I had so many surgeries that I lost count,” he admits. “They were always trying to get the prosthesis to work better, but I kept having problems.”
By 2016, eight years after his cancer diagnosis, the prosthesis became infected. It was a devastating setback, and it forced him to face a life-altering decision: whether to keep fighting to save the leg — or let it go.
“It was the hardest choice I’ve ever had to make,” he says. “But in the end, I knew what was right for me.”
He chose amputation — mid-femur, through the same leg that once held his prosthesis.
A New Beginning
The surgery marked not an ending, but a new beginning. “From the moment I recovered, I felt lighter — freer,” he says. “It was like I got my mobility back. I could finally move without pain.”
The decision that once seemed terrifying became, in his words, “the best thing I’ve ever done.”
After years of limitations, he began exploring the world again — hiking, travelling, rediscovering life’s possibilities with a renewed sense of freedom. “Since my amputation, I’ve travelled to some amazing places,” he smiles. “It gave me my life back.”
Finding Strength Through Fitness
His experience with cancer and amputation sparked a new passion: fitness. Determined not to be seen as weak or fragile, he threw himself into exercise and rehabilitation. “I didn’t want anyone to look at me and see someone broken,” he says. “I wanted to be strong — inside and out.”
That mindset eventually became his career. Today, he is a personal trainer, using his story to inspire others to overcome their challenges and believe in their own strength.
“My cancer was a driving force,” he says. “It pushed me to find what I love and to show people that you can come back stronger, no matter what life throws at you.”
Gratitude and a Message of Hope
Looking back, he feels nothing but gratitude — for the doctors and nurses at Bristol Children’s Hospital and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, and for the friends and family who never stopped believing in him. “Their support kept me going,” he says. “They were my lifeline.”
Though his journey was filled with fear, surgeries, and setbacks, he wouldn’t change it. “Every part of it made me who I am today,” he reflects. “My cancer and my amputation shaped my outlook on life. They taught me to value the small things — and to stay positive, no matter what.”
His message to others facing similar battles is simple, but powerful:
“Keep positive. There will be tough days, and dark moments. You’ll feel scared and tired. But focus on the little things that make you happy — a smile, a meal, a walk outside. Those small things are what will carry you through.”
Today, he stands not as a victim, but as a survivor — a man who turned pain into purpose, and fear into fuel. His right leg may be gone, but his strength, spirit, and determination remain unshakable.
“I have no regrets,” he says, smiling. “Losing my leg gave me back my life. And honestly, it’s the best decision I ever made.”
