A promising footballer whose career was halted after he was diagnosed with cancer is facing a new fight with the disease. Ben Cull was playing for Southampton FC's youth team and had already picked up two England youth caps when he injured his leg during a match.
Tragically, what the then 17-year-old thought was a dead leg turned out to be Ewing's sarcoma - a form of bone cancer. The diagnosis led to a knee replacement and the end of his hopes of a future in the footballing world after he decided following any route apart from playing was "too close" to his shattered dream.
After getting the all clear from doctors Ben took up a new career as a personal trainer. And using his positive outlook he even began a relationship, using his cancer fight as a chat up line with his new girlfriend, reports the Express.
But now he is facing a new fight after an abnormality showed up on one of his regular health checks. It was found he had cancer once more - but this time he has been told just five per cent of patients with his form of the disease live for five years after their diagnosis.
Now, as he faces the toughest fight of his life, Ben is remaining positive. And he says he still feels blessed despite what he is going through.
Ben said: "I think it's much harder for those who are close to me to watch me going through it knowing that they can't do anything. My parents both said if they could swap positions with me they would. It's really hard to hear your parents say that."
"The family we both have around us, and the friends and support network that we've got - I'm so fortunate in many ways. We've got far too many blessings to be moaning about my stresses."
Ben, now 23, from Bournemouth, told how his life changed followed the Southampton FC youth match. He said: "I got told I wouldn't play football again. Tough news to hear at the time.
"They offered me coaching routes and the chance to potentially train some of the younger boys, but that was a bit too close to home being around the football club. So I wanted to get out."
Having been given the all clear in July 2017, the young left back completed a course and spent the next few years as a personal trainer as well as working part-time at Santander. With the bank's help Ben raised over £20,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, completing various sporting challenges, cake sales, and even shaving his head.
"Obviously, I was going lose my hair anyway, but I thought let's shave it off and make a big deal of it and raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, because they have looked after me incredibly."
It was during those "normal years" that he met his girlfriend, Daisy Morrison, 21, from Bournemouth. He said: "We met nearly four years ago, just before Christmas time."
The pair started talking on Instagram, with beauty therapist Daisy saying Ben used his cancer as a chat up line. Daisy said: "I did a stalk and saw that he previously had cancer. So I was like, 'Oh my God, I'm really sorry' and he was like, 'I'll tell you all about it over a date'. I couldn't really say no'."
But just a few days before the couple were due to visit Paris for Ben's 21st, a routine lung scan showed an abnormality. Further tests revealed it was a tumour.
Daisy said: "With bone cancer, it's common for it to spread to your lungs so Ben would have a lung scan every three months. It was literally just a routine one. We thought nothing of it, as they'd all been fine.
"Then doctors said they found an abnormality and it came back that it was a tumour. That was hard to swallow."
She said this time the cancer is across both lungs. Doctors have told the couple there is no cure. There are things which can slow down the process but "inevitably it is terminal", she added.
Ben has already had a long course of chemotherapy which stopped the tumours growing for several months but they have now started growing again. The latest cycle of treatment however has failed to work and while there are two more types of chemotherapy they can try Daisy says doctors have warned them it is likely there will be similar results.
Doctors have told Ben that five per cent of patients with his form of cancer live for five years following their diagnosis. Daisy added: "We've tried to have a positive look on it, and you never know. He doesn't actually have any symptoms of the cancer."
She decided to set up a GoFundMe for her partner, with donations going towards "dream holidays, fun adventures, and Ben's bucket list ideas" which includes visiting New York at Christmas, watching a live golf tournament and trying lobster.
She said: "Neither of us wanted to ask for money, but I was like he's got to be a bit more selfish now and stop trying to do everything for everyone else. We did not expect it to blow up like it has. All the messages we've had and the opportunities have been unreal."
But Ben is full of praise for Daisy. He said: "I didn't think there was a woman out there that would hear the things my doctors and consultants have said and still be just as committed and as strong.
"We have our days when we have a little cry but we have so much fun; we look at life in a positive and grateful way."
To donate towards "Ben's bucket list ideas", click here.
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