Ben's Story
Ben's family visited the Cotswolds in October 2024.
When I was 21 I had moved away to be with my partner, from Swansea to Swindon to start a fresh life got a new job and was slowly settling in.
After a few months I started to experience inflamed tonsils and because we were still in the pandemic at this point it was put down to tonsillitis or Covid everytime, I had to email photos to the doctor and again he would say tonsillitis .
A few months went by and I was struggling in work, eating, even energy levels no antibiotics were working and I’m sure I was on my 6th course, so I had called an amburlance who took me in just for a check over.
I had bloods taken and was sent away, within a few days I was asked to attend the hospital for a appointment and it was discussed that I would be having the tonsils removed on the Thursday, but come the Tuesday morning I found myself receiving a phone call to come in for a chat where I found myself receiving the news that I have acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
I was thrown straight into chemotherapy but not local. I was having it in Oxford which was just under 2 hours away from where I lived. I was alone with no visitors because of the pandemic.
Fast forward a year or so and we made the decision to move back to wales. I started receiving treatment in Cardiff this time it was totally different because family and friends were living locally and able to support me.
4 years of gruelling chemotherapy which absolutely defeated me and sometimes left me thinking this was it.
Moving on to recently I have just rung the cancer bell and I am officially cancer free. Words I never thought I would hear.
I am now trying to discover me again. Process what I’ve been through & attempt to take control of my life again.
I’m so greatful for Ben Saunders foundation charity for giving me this opportunity to have a break, where I don’t have to worry about chemotherapy or anything else. I was suppose to go on this exact break a few years back but chemotherapy defeated me and I wasn’t able to go so this time round I’m cancer free, in a better place than I was.