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Wales Online

National

Conor Gogarty

'I was exhausted from chemo but had to work to keep the lights on for my children'

Cancer Chemotherapy

A dad fears he will be unable to cover his family's energy bills as he battles cancer. At times Lewis Griffiths, from Llandaff North in Cardiff, has had no choice but to work while exhausted from chemotherapy.

The 33-year-old — whose three children and two stepchildren are aged from three to 19 — put his savings into setting up a bathroom installation business six months before he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer common among 15- to 34-year-olds.

During four months of chemotherapy there were days when Lewis could not afford electricity. Despite being severely ill, he had to take on some work just so he could afford to turn the lights back on.

When his chemotherapy ended, Lewis received the all-clear. But a week later he learned he still had cancer and he now faces another course of the gruelling treatment. Facing more time off work as energy prices and the cost of living soar, Lewis is worried about money. Friends have launched a fundraiser with a target of £4,000 to support the family.

"You're told how to deal with the cancer, but not how to deal with the money side of it," said Lewis. "The electric bills and everything have gone up. With Christmas coming up I just want the kids to be OK."

During Lewis' first round of chemotherapy he struggled to keep the pre-payment energy metre topped up. "Some days there was no electric," he said. "It's a good job the kids weren't with us on those days. I wanted to rest as much as I could but there were times I had to go out of bed and work to get some money in. I had to make sure the kids were fed and had electricity."

Lewis, whose metre costs were around £20 for four days of energy, added: "Diesel kept going up as well. All of a sudden my girlfriend was having to get her wages early."

Though he finished his first cycle at the end of May, he is yet to return to full-time work and expects to need more rest when his second cycle starts. He said: "The last thing I want is for my kids to not be able to eat and have to sit in the dark."

The average household's annual energy bill is predicted to rise to £4,650 in January. Asked if he thinks there should be a freeze on the price cap, Lewis said: "I'd like to see something like that. If it wasn't for my dad helping me with my mortgage we would have lost the house by now."

Lewis first realised something was wrong with his health shortly before last Christmas, when he started having back pain. He put it down to his tiling work. When an itch on his arms and legs began to bother him, he blamed hay fever.

But the swollen gland in his groin was harder to dismiss. Then there were the night sweats. "It was terrible at night," said Lewis. "I'd never had anything like that before."

Lewis was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma on January 10 at University Hospital Llandough. Because of Covid restrictions he had attended by himself, with no inkling that he had a serious illness.

"I thought it was an infection and I'd just get over it," he said. "Then as the doctor was talking I thought, 'Hang on a minute, lymphona is something else.' I was trying to process it and it didn't kick in until I spoke to my dad later.

"The first thing that comes into your mind is your kids. It was hard to take. I didn't know what to do. I had just set up a business and put all my money into that. As soon as I was diagnosed I had a lot of phone calls from people wanting work done, and I had to turn them down."

For four months Lewis was given chemotherapy at University Hospital of Wales in three-day stretches, each separated by a fortnight. It soon left him "wiped out".

"Sometimes I couldn't get out of bed. I had a burning sensation in my elbows and knees. One time I was in pain all night.

"I had what they call 'chemo brain' as well, where you forget things. By the time I'd gone into a room to do something, I'd forget why I was there."

The mental strain was just as challenging as the physical pain. "You don't know what to do with yourself," Lewis added. "There's only so much you can do to keep your mind busy. It's one of the hardest things I've had to do because you're constantly overthinking."

Despite receiving the all-clear at the end of May, Lewis could tell something was not right. He felt as if he had pulled a muscle under his collarbone.

Lewis said: "The pain then moved right under my chin. My gland was really hard, almost like a gobstopper under your tongue. It felt exactly the same as the one I'd had around Christmas. The minute I touched it, I knew."

Tests confirmed Lewis still had cancer but doctors have reassured him that he should not panic. "They're in the process of looking at what cycle will get rid of it," he added. "I was on a heavy dose last time and I don't know if they'll put me on the same one. They're going to do a PET scan to see how healthy my heart is, how much it can take."

Lewis found it difficult to accept he had not beaten the cancer at the first attempt, having "pushed hard". But his family, friends and doctors have been a huge source of support. "A few of my dad's friends have had it, and I'm listening to their advice," he added.

The fundraiser to support Lewis and his family has drawn £3,290 in donations towards a £4,000 target. You can donate here.

Last week we reported on two landlords who will leave their pub after 26 years due to "astronomical" energy costs and soaring wholesale prices. We also spoke to a restaurant group which is facing a "mind-blowing" £500,000 annual electricity bill and fears the independent restaurant sector will be "almost wiped out" by the energy crisis.

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