A Bristol dad was hospitalised with cancer eight years after he was checked for the disease and given the all clear. Istvan Babits, a nurse from Kingswood, was hospitalised in January of this year, and doctors found an aggressive melanoma which had spread to his liver, spleen and lymph nodes.
But his wife Timea says that in 2014, Istvan had surgery to remove a melanoma from his neck, and after a year of being taken to hospital for checks he was told that it was nothing to worry about. "We had no problems before but suddenly our life has collapsed," Timea told Bristol Live.
It all started on Boxing Day in 2021, when Istvan started to say that he had a bloated belly. The 46-year-old couldn't eat, so he contacted his GP but was reportedly told that he didn't need to worry, and the doctor told him he would book him in to check for a gallstone problem.
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But by January 22, Istvan was taken to hospital, and the doctors found cancer in his body. He was discharged and returned to work, but by January 31 his condition had deteriorated and he was taken into the intensive care unit in hospital.
He is now recovering at home, but Timea says his illness is having a severe impact on their lives, and the lives of their twin seven-year-old daughters. "That was terrible, that was awful for all of us, and the children as well. Now they are in the house, I can't leave my husband for too long and they're still kids, so at the moment it's quite difficult for all of us," she said.
She has to look after Istvan constantly because he is so weak, even though in the past he was a very active man. "He was very active, he was always up cooking, cleaning everything.
"He looked after the kids, he was very active, all day he was up. And suddenly now he can't really do anything," said Timea.
Both Istvan and Timea work as nurses in Bristol, but now they are on sick leave, which has brought them financial difficulties, and means that they have had to sell their car. Istvan is on a slow path to recovery, and he has been given chemotherapy tablets to take every day.
At one stage he was on dialysis 24 hours a day but he has shown improvement. However, he has a drain in his stomach to drain the fluid from it every day, and the doctors say that the the melanoma is very aggressive and could infect a new organ in spite of the medication.
Timea has set up a fundraiser to ask for support from the public, which you can view by clicking here. Writing on the page, she said: "He is one of the kindest and caring people and has worked as a nurse all his life, dedicated to helping people in need.
"He has always been first to help others and his two daughters were raised with the same values. Unfortunately being unable to work and care for his family, and the constant worries that comes with it, has a devastating impact on Istvan's health and wellbeing.
"The purpose of this fundraiser is to help Istvan enjoy the remaining time with his family, without being stressed and worrying about their future. Please help bring hope and a little smile to Istvan and his family at this difficult and challenging time."
