A BURTONWOOD man who successfully beat cancer is calling for donations to fund vital research during this difficult coronavirus pandemic.
Oliver Roper-Browning owes his life to research and improved treatments after being told he had advanced testicular cancer in April 2018.
Aged only 24 at the time, he was diagnosed after spotting a lump which grew quickly and spread around his testicle.
He managed to beat the cancer and come through the other side, but he is now appealing for donations to help Cancer Research UK tackle a devastating loss of research funding caused by Covid-19.
“When I was told I had cancer, it felt like the biggest kick in the face,” he said.
“It all started after I spotted a lump in the shower one day – at first it was no bigger than a grain of sand, but over a few weeks it grew much bigger and was eventually the size of half the testicle.
Oliver and his partner Stef in hospital
“The doctors started talking about things like chemotherapy, hair loss and infertility – and it was just so overwhelming and hard to take everything in.
“I was in the prime of my life and couldn’t help thinking ‘why me?’”
Thanks to successful chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumour, the 27-year-old is now living cancer-free and is also celebrating the happy news that he is about to become a dad through IVF treatment.
Oliver’s experience means that he is determined to help protect people with cancer from the heart-breaking fall-out of the pandemic.
“I breezed in and out of my first chemotherapy session and wondered what all the fuss was about, but the second day of treatment really hit me – like the worst hangover of my life,” he continued.
“Having cancer took a lot out of me both mentally and physically and was one of the toughest times of my life, but thankfully the treatment worked, and I will always be extremely grateful for that.
“It is distressing to think that progress that could help more people like me survive cancer in the future is being delayed because of the effects of the pandemic.
“Nobody wants to see scientists having to hang up their lab coats, so I hope people across Warrington will be inspired and give what they can.”
With fundraising down, Cancer Research UK is expecting a staggering £160 million drop in income this year, which is putting future breakthroughs at risk.
North west spokesperson Anna Taylor added: “We are incredibly grateful to Oliver for helping to underline the power of research in saving lives.
“Covid-19 has slowed us down – but we will never stop. One in two people will get cancer in their lifetime, which is why we are absolutely determined to continue to create better cancer treatments.
“Every step our scientists take towards beating cancer relies on our supporters, and with the help of people in Warrington, we believe that together we will still beat cancer.”
If you would like to donate, head to cruk.org/give
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