Cancer is a very serious illness. Numerous people have already lost their lives to this deadly sickness. Although it is not contagious, losing one’s life to this illness is worse than isolating yourself when you are tentatively sick with a contagious disease.
A 39-year-old man was told by his doctor that he had only several weeks to live. This did not falter his attitude in life. Due to his positive insight despite having this deadly illness, he is encouraging others who are suffering the same fate to not see cancer as a death penalty.
“I never expected to get to this point, and to be fair, it is only through seeing the experiences of others that I realized it was possible,” Danny de Brabander, of Claughton in Wirral, North West England, told the Liverpool Echo.
Although Danny assumes that his stage-4 cancer may or may not return, his scans from mid-March reveal that he is in remission. “I have to just stay positive and hope that every scan is clear,” Danny claims.
Danny has undergone invasive chemotherapy to remove the cancer from his stomach lining, though not before he has lost 60% of his liver, his gall bladder, and his spleen. Even with his positive energy towards this deadly illness, it was never easy for Danny. He will be undergoing scans every three months for two years, then reduced to every six months.
In his Facebook post dated March 22, Danny expressed his gratitude towards all his family members and circle of friends for leaving messages of love and support during this time of his battle with cancer.
“I’m still on a real high after my positive news at the weekend and the words ‘NO CANCER VISIBLE,’” he shared. “Whilst the percentage changes are still against me, I am certainly going to enjoy not having to worry about cancer… not to mention the heartache and stress of not knowing how long you have left to live!”
Although Danny admitted that he had his “dark moments,” he is very excited to return to his family, see his friends, get back to work, and plan his wedding for 2022. Danny is a sales manager for a telecommunications company, and he is ready to get back to work in person at his office in Birkenhead. He is fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.
Ignoring the initial warning signs, in January 2019, Danny discovered that he had stage-4 bowel cancer that has spread to his liver. According to Mayo Clinic, early warning signs may include inconsistent bowel movements, abdominal pain, blood in the stool, and rapid weight loss. Do not ignore these symptoms. If you have them, consult your doctor immediately and do not self-medicate.
For 2 long years, Danny battled his diagnosis, and during one of the processes, he suffered a chemotherapy-induced heart attack, and sepsis (blood poisoning) after a tube was inserted into his blood vessel during emergency surgery.
“No one knows if my delay in seeing the doctor had an impact on the stage of the cancer,” he said to The Echo, “but it is one of the reasons I try my best to promote the symptoms of bowel cancer and encourage people to seek medical advice… Bowel Cancer Awareness is key. If caught early, it’s successfully treated in 90 percent of cases.”
Danny and three of his friends, Ben Douglas, Ben Lavell, and Will Davenport, launched a fundraising page on Facebook called, Team DDB. The page has raised over UK £48,000 (approx. US $66,150), and the funds will be distributed to charities including Wirral Foodbank, The Critical Care Team at Arrowe Park Hospital, and Bowel Cancer Awareness. Danny admits that the fundraising campaign was the “perfect distraction” during his cancer battle.
On his Facebook page, Danny posted, “All I would say to anyone who is going through something: Please try to be positive. Believe in yourself. Never ever give up!” Spreading good vibes amidst his cancer treatments has people believe in Danny’s positive outlook of the illness.
“I’m going to enjoy every single moment from now on,” he signed off, “hopefully many days like this one.”
Share this article to family and friends to raise awareness against cancer, be inspired by Danny de Brabander, and visit his fundraising campaign page on Facebook.
Credit: The Epoch Times
