When I took a tumble on the football pitch, I didn't know the recovery would lead to this... By Jason Deans, 38
As I took a tumble on the football pitch, I felt a twinge.
I’d pulled something in my groin and when the pain didn’t go away I ended up having a scan.
It showed a 5cm tumour on my pelvis.
Although it was a shock, I was told it was unlikely to be cancer and I said to my wife Nicola, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.’
It was a relief as we had two little ones Caris, eight, and Caelan, three.
But days later, tests revealed I had a form of bone cancer called chondrosarcoma.
‘How will we tell the kids?’ I asked Nicola.
In the end, we decided not to, and after an operation to remove the tumour, I was free of the cancer.
But recovery was tough.
For the first few weeks, I couldn’t stand or walk and Nicola had to help me wash and dress myself.
The thing that kept me going was my family.
I felt nothing but joy as I stood at the start line
‘Daddy! Look at this,’ Caris would say, appearing at my bedside with a drawing.
‘It’s beautiful!’ I’d tell her, as she sat down to keep me company.
My family were there as I progressed from being bed-bound, to a wheelchair and then crutches.
Four years on, I was finally feeling back to normal.
And I had an idea.
‘I’d like to run the London Marathon,’ I said.
I’d run the marathon four years before my diagnosis, so running it again, back to full health, felt like a good way to close the chapter on my cancer journey.
The training was hard but, on the day, I felt nothing but joy as I stood at the start line.
As I ran through the streets of London, I thought about everything I’d been through, my recovery and my wonderful family who’d supported me every step of the way.
Crossing the finish line in three hours and 46 minutes was a proud moment.
So far, I’ve raised over £13,000 for the Bone Cancer Research Trust. I want to be able to help others and the more I raise, the more I can.
• Click here to support Jason: justgiving.com/page/jason-deans-1718868914737