My name is Donna, and I never imagined I would be writing these words about my beautiful son.

On 6 February 2025, our world was turned upside down when my 22 year old son, Nickodemus, was diagnosed with medullary renal cell carcinoma (RMC) one of the rarest and most aggressive forms of kidney cancer. By the time it was discovered, the cancer had already spread beyond his kidney to his lymph nodes and lungs, and has since spread further to his liver and bones.

At just 22 years old, Nickodemus should be building his future, chasing his dreams and making memories with his friends and family. Instead, he has spent the last year in and out of hospital, enduring surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, countless scans, blood tests and admissions, all whilst trying to hold on to hope.

Before cancer, Nickodemus lived life to the fullest. He loved going to the gym and trained regularly in Muay Thai and boxing. He was always active, always smiling and always the first person to help someone else. He loved travelling to different places with his friends, and there was never a dull moment when he was around. Watching that energetic, independent young man become so poorly has been absolutely heartbreaking.

The cancer has continued to progress despite every treatment that has been offered. Today, Nickodemus is living with constant pain, severe abdominal discomfort and relentless vomiting. He has been unable to eat properly for weeks and has lost a significant amount of weight. He spends most of his days in bed because he simply doesn't have the strength he once had. Every day brings new challenges, and yet he continues to face them with incredible courage and dignity.

As a mum, nothing prepares you for watching your child suffer knowing there is so little you can do to take the pain away.

Despite everything, Nickodemus hasn't given up, and neither have we.

His cancer is so rare that the treatment which could help him isn't routinely funded by the NHS. His medical team are fighting to access it, and it offers real hope, hope that it could slow the cancer's progress, shrink his tumours, and give him back the thing that now matters more than anything else: time. Not time spent on a ward, too exhausted to hold a conversation. Time that feels good. Time with the people he loves, making the kind of memories that outlast all of this. Hope is what gets him out of bed and back to the things that make him happy, and right now, hope is what we're asking you to help us hold onto. There are no guarantees. We know that. But we're not ready to stop fighting for him, and we can't do it alone.

Sadly, this treatment comes at an enormous cost of more than £50,000 and must be funded privately.

Asking for help is one of the hardest things we have ever had to do. We have always tried to face life's challenges together as a family, but this is something we simply cannot do alone.

If you are able to donate, no matter how much, you will be helping to give Nickodemus the opportunity to access treatment that could buy him more time. If you're unable to donate, sharing his story with others would mean just as much to us.

Every donation, every share, every message of support and every prayer reminds us that we are not fighting this battle on our own.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for taking the time to read Nickodemus's story. Thank you for standing beside our family during the most difficult time of our lives.

With love and gratitude,

Donna