Adam's Story

Adam was the sporty, energetic 14 year old last year. He was always out on his mountain bike, doing the trails in the forest of dean with his mates. He played football for our village Mitcheldean. Then in april 2025 he came off his bike. His top of arm was quite painful to move and I took him for an xray. At this point, was confirmed no factors or breaks which we was relieved about.

Over the next few weeks, he rested that arm till he could lift it up again. June comes and he mentions that he thinks there a lump, I couldnt see anything apart from what looked like muscle.

He had a few evenings of pain but they went. The beginning of July and he mentions it again, so we booked app at our GP the following morning.

He was sent for another xray. 6 days later, our gp has referred it to local hospital to be reviewed which is when we received a call saying that they want to do MRI within 48hrs to rule out anything more sinister.

Next morning we are in hospital (18th july 2025) for a mri and consultant has told us its a form of bone cancer in his left humerus. Our whole world had fallen apart.

Adam cried, we all cried. We had to wait for a biopsy to be carried out in early august in Birmingham, where by the end of august was confirmed as ewings sarcoma.

Adam then had a hickman line fitted into his chest and a bone marrow biopsy done on 15th august 2025.

Adam started chemotherapy of 9 rounds of VDC/IE in bristol childrens hospital at end of august, he then had surgery in Birmingham to remove humerus and part of his elbow (he now has restriction on movement with arm and unable to lift much with it and that will be the case now but he is just happy he still has his arm).

Then he had the last 5 rounds of chemo after surgery.

He has missed all of year 10 and tried to do some online learning through the hospital education services, but he is hoping that he can do a couple of gcses next year.

He aiming to return to school in September. The treatment was so intense due to it being such an agressive cancer and we are all worried at what the future holds for him, from it returning and to late side effects of the chemo.

We spent every other week in hospital in bristol, with admissions when unwell or has a temperature.

Adam had done so well throughout chemo and even gained weight, and didn't have any blood transfusions which was something our consultants and nurses said they never seen happen before.

Adam is now 15, and coming to terms with the fact that he may not be able to do the things he used to love so much. But he has found some other hobbies now, F1 racing and flying with hope to become a pilot one day.
Now we wait for his 3 month scan on the 8th july which we are very anxious about.

Thank you to everyone at Ben Saunders Foundation for this much needed opportunity