A GP initially dismissed the pain Byron Geldard was suffering from as the result of overzealous gym sessions, but upon returning from a holiday in Kavos the teenager decided to seek further medical attention.
Byron was immediately referred for an ultrasound after his doctor discovered a lump in the teenager's side and scans revealed that the young man had developed a tumour which had unfortunately spread to his lungs.
With doctors uncertain as to the type of cancer Byron was suffering from, the teenager struggled to deal with the implications of the diagnosis.
Opening up about the experience, Byron revealed: "I could have had four or five different types. The doctor kept saying things but it wasn't really going in. I left the room and I fainted. I think it was the fear of the unknown."
Upon being transferred to the Teenage Cancer Trust unit in Cambridge, the teenager was asked to provide a sample for a pregnancy test in a method used to diagnose testicular cancer. Pregnancy tests are used in this form because testicular cancer happens to produce the same hormone that is released for placenta production.
Byron's sample came back as positive for testicular cancer and the teenager began chemotherapy the following day.
Recalling his treatment, Byron explained the procedure, saying: "I would go in for five says in a row and have the chemo constantly. It really took it out of me. My brain was muddled and I found it hard to concentrate on long films or books."
As of January 19th, Byron is thankfully free of cancer, but the experience has left the teenager with a very different perspective on life, admitting; "Before all this happened you think your life is pretty much guaranteed until you're about 85 but it gave me the realisation of my own mortality."
Byron now works as an ambassador for the Teenage Cancer Trust and hopes his experience will help other youngster cope with a cancer diagnosis.
Determined to support other teenagers facing a similar diagnosis, Byron says: "Cancer is no longer a death sentence and I would like to spread that message."
