'If I hadn't tried to 'man up' I could have avoided terminal diagnosis'

A 31-year-old man diagnosed with terminal cancer says he could have been saved – if he hadn’t tried to ‘man up’ and ignore the symptoms.

Liam Griffiths began suffering with stomach swelling, chronic constipation, cramps and vomiting in March. But he decided to avoid making a fuss and power on as he was self-employed and needed the money.

Liam’s symptoms eventually became unmanageable and he went to hospital, where he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease – then bowel cancer. He went under the knife but was shocked to be told by doctors the surgery had been unsuccessful – and that his cancer is terminal.

Liam, a former oil rig worker, is now coming to terms with his diagnosis. And he wants to encourage other people to take notice of their bodies and seek help as soon as possible.

Liam said: “Not getting checked sooner is the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. They found my cancer at stage three advanced – but if I had just gone to see the doctors earlier maybe they could have caught it.

“I was self-employed, and I needed the money, so I just kept powering through. I did what I thought a man needed to do. I was manning up.”

Liam Griffiths in hospital following his terminal cancer diagnosis

Liam was initially told he likely had Crohn’s disease – an inflammatory bowel disease. But the next month he received a call from the doctors who asked him to come to the hospital straight away.

There they told him he actually had peritoneal cancer – and would need chemotherapy treatment. Liam said: “As soon as they said for me to bring my mum, Susan, I knew. I don’t even remember the hospital trip – I’ve just blocked the trauma out.

“I remember I asked what my life span would look like and my doctor said he doesn’t want to give me a timeframe of when my life could end, because he doesn’t want me to focus my whole life around it. I agreed and just decided I wanted to get home, fulfil some wishes and just live my life while I can.

“There were things on my bucket list I would have liked to have do, like going skiing, doing Tough Mudder and swimming with sharks. But now I have to choose things that let me sit down, as I won’t physically be able to do things I originally wanted to. I think my mum wants to plan a train trip.”

Liam Griffiths says he could have been saved – if he hadn’t tried to ‘man up’ and ignore the symptoms

Due to Liam’s rapidly declining health, living life the way he wants to has become difficult – including his dream of driving the North Coast 500 in Scotland with his dad, Peter, in his sixties.

Liam added: “I just want to make sure we have those key memories together before I maybe have to go. Even with Christmas coming up, I used to love Christmas shopping, but I’m not getting any enjoyment out of that anymore. It’s killed everything for me.

“Physically I’m a fragile man, I’m a shadow of who I was. I was the healthiest man in the world. I trained every single day, but now I can’t even walk up the stairs without breaking a sweat.

“I am literally living the worst type of life I could have ever imagined. It’s horrible. Mentally it’s taken it out of me. Physically it’s taken it out of me.”

The chemotherapy treatment available on the NHS is no longer working for Liam and he is now paying for private treatment, scans and medicine in a bid to prolong his life. Through the help of his friend, Eve Bannatyne, daughter of Dragon’s Den star, Duncan Bannatyne, they have raised over £18k for Liam on JustGiving.

Liam Griffiths in hospital following his terminal cancer diagnosis

On his JustGiving page, Eve said: “He is bravely battling terminal cancer at just the age of 31 and we urgently need support to access medicine to ease his pain and hopefully prolong his life. Liam has shown incredible strength and resilience throughout this challenging journey and has the biggest heart. He doesn’t deserve to go through any of this.

“Every donation, no matter how small, can make a world of difference.”

Liam, from Middlesbrough, wants his own story to be used as a lesson for other men to stop ignoring their symptoms and to get checked.

He added: “I want to push this message because if just one or two people go to the hospital and get checked because of my mistake and my story that would be amazing.”

Pascale Harvie, president and general manager of JustGiving said: “Liam is an incredible young man and we at JustGiving are in awe of his bravery.

“Not only has he found the strength to battle this horrible disease, but he also raising much needed awareness to encourage other men to get themselves checked, by sharing his own story.”

To donate to Liam’s JustGiving page, click here.