A father diagnosed with a rare, incurable form of cancer has made a heartbreaking list of promises to his baby son.
Paul Hill, 36, was diagnosed with advanced diffused stomach cancer after struggling to swallow his food correctly.
Paul of Willerby, East Yorkshire, has proven his will to beat the illness by compiling a list of pledges for his 17-month-old son George.
According to Hull Live, these commitments include being present for George’s start and finish of school, taking him to the bar for the first time, assisting with his relocation into his own home, and allowing Paul to witness his own grandparenthood.
Paul had problems swallowing his food 12 weeks ago and was prescribed acid reflux medication.
As his health deteriorated, he was in severe pain with every swallow, and he couldn’t eat a bowl of oatmeal in less than an hour.
Paul and his wife, Jessica, chose to pay for private tests eight weeks ago because they couldn’t wait any longer to find out what was happening with their young family.
They were later informed that they had advanced disseminated stomach cancer.
According to Jessica, doctors have indicated that he has had this cancer for roughly five years.
He began having difficulty swallowing only a few months ago, eating became unpleasant for him, and he began spitting up after meals.
“We paid to go private because we couldn’t wait for the tests to be done on the NHS. That’s when they told us the cancer had spread from his stomach lining to his gastroesophageal junction and into his pancreas.”
If the disease had been identified earlier, Paul’s stomach could have been removed, but because he had no symptoms and was too young to be examined for stomach cancer, it went unnoticed and spread.
Paul has been invited to take part in a five-year clinical research in the United Kingdom, where immunotherapy will be provided to others suffering from the same disease.
However, only half of the patients will receive immunotherapy.
According to medical authorities, the therapy could someday be administered statewide and utilized instead of chemotherapy.
Jessica’s JustGiving page was launched a few days ago, and more than £3,000 has been raised thus far.
“Three months ago, I was completely unaware of the affects that cancer can have on a person’s close friends and family as well as on themselves,” Jessica wrote. ” But, as I sit here at night, I am overwhelmed with anguish and terror that I would never want on anyone. My Paul has made a number of obligations, and his family and I will assist him in fulfilling them in any manner we can.”
“Five years is a long time to wait. If Paul gets chosen for the immunotherapy study in the UK, all of the money we’ve raised will go directly to stomach cancer research.”
“If he does not, we will have to transport him to America for medical treatment. He promised to grow old with me, and he needs to see his baby son grow.”
“The purpose of this fundraiser is to enhance cancer awareness and, preferably, notoriety in order to produce more funding for cancer research.”
