Help Paul beat Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer

In September 2024, our world was turned upside down when I received a Stage 4 colorectal cancer diagnosis.

Earlier in the year, I started to feel tired all the time until the fatigue became overwhelming. This was coupled with excruciating lower back pain.

I struggled on, but getting through a day at work became near impossible. And when at home, I had zero energy to spend even 10 minutes a day with my kids.

After collapsing at work, I finally decided to go to my GP. He sent me for some scans and a colonoscopy.

What they found was devastating - a tumour the size of a golf ball, and cancer in my lymph nodes that had also spread to my liver.

At 43 years old, this wasn’t in the script!

Chemo, radiotherapy and surgery were on the cards, but I knew there were other approaches out there that I could do alongside my NHS treatments to supercharge my recovery.

Mistletoe Therapy and My Cancer Journey

My wife Sharon and I disappeared down the rabbit hole, researching lots of different options. One treatment that really stuck out to us was mistletoe therapy.

Mistletoe extracts are widely used as an integrative cancer care treatment across Europe, (especially in Germany, where it is considered a standard cancer treatment).

Mistletoe extracts have been shown to have growth-inhibiting effects on human cancer cells; they boost the immune system and improve the quality of life of patients, as well as improving the body's ability to tolerate chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery.

All from a simple, natural source.

It initially looked like mistletoe therapy was available through the NHS, but every link led to a dead 404 webpage. We quickly realised that the NHS had de-funded a service that was delivering this natural and life-improving intervention.

We scoured the internet and found the only clinic in Scotland that offered the treatment: The Camphill Wellbeing Trust, a charity based in Aberdeen.

We filled the forms in immediately, had a Zoom meeting with their lead clinician, Dr Geider, and the next thing I knew, I was travelling to Aberdeen to receive 2 weeks of intensive mistletoe treatment before my chemo-radiotherapy kicked off.

It was life-changing.

Up until this point, I was fading fast. I could barely lift my head off the pillow. I was in constant pain, and was bleeding constantly.

A week into the mistletoe therapy, I felt an incredible turn in my symptoms; it was unbelievable.

By the second week, I had gone from sleeping over 20 hours a day and being in crippling, chronic pain to being almost symptom-free.

Then the chemo-radiotherapy started. This treatment is important too, but is heavily toxic to the body.

The ongoing mistletoe treatment I take at home, as well as the intensive intravenous vitamin C regime, which is also being delivered by the clinical team at Camphill, is helping me to tolerate the side effects and fight the cancer cells inside my body.

I am fundraising for the Camphill Wellbeing Trust for the amazing work that they do quietly in the background.

We all know the big UK cancer charities, but there are smaller, incredible teams out there working tirelessly to save people’s lives, and I hope to raise a significant sum to cover the work that they do.

Each round of treatment I receive costs thousands of pounds to deliver, and I know I will be under the care of the medical team at Camphill Wellbeing Trust for at least a year to send this cancer packing.

I’m still a long way from a full recovery, but with Camphill Wellbeing Trust's help, I’m heading in the right direction. I am forever grateful for the care and support the team has given us.

I want to say thank you to all my friends and family who have been there for me, Sharon and the kids.

Thank you for joining me and supporting me on this journey. It really means the world ❤️

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All of your donations will go directly to the Camphill Wellbeing Trust, a charity registered in Scotland (Charity No. SC016291)

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Fundraising in 2025

We have lots of fun things in the pipeline to boost our fundraising efforts in 2025, so if you can help out with an event, prizes, or any other ideas, please get in touch!

Every bit of help is gratefully received :-)