A man is still smiling despite being given 12 months to live.
Jason Woods, from Thingwall, Wirral, was given a small amount of time left to live when he was first diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Doctors told Jason he had 12 months to two years left to live, when the cancer spread to his liver, kidneys and lymph nodes.
That was in October 2021. But today, despite the disease, businessman Jason is still smiling and trying to raise money for a charity close to his heart, which he said helped him "practically and emotionally" as he dealt with his devastating diagnosis.
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Jason said: "Sadly I was given the news that I had approximately between 12 months - two years to live. It was around this time that I stumbled across Maggie's - a place based on the grounds of Clatterbridge Hospital.
"The team there have given me so much help and guidance practically and emotionally. It is an amazing support centre that is so welcoming and comfortable, you would never know you're just a stone’s throw away from a hospital.
"Every time I go to Maggie's, I leave with the biggest smile on my face."
Jason has recently finished a challenge to raise over £4,000 for Maggie's Wirral. He walked 100,000 steps in 31 days for the vital service, helping them continue their work to support people living with cancer.
Kathy Wright, head of Maggie's Wirral, said: "Cancer is possibly the hardest experience of a person’s life. If you or anyone one you know need to chat, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
"People with cancer and their families are being hit particularly hard with the cost-of-living crisis. We are supporting visitors who are going back to work too early, worrying about food and heating, and even missing hospital appointments because they cannot afford travel costs.
"We’re extremely grateful to people like Jason, it’s because of our supporters that we’re able to continue offering our support."
You can find out more about the essential work Maggie's Wirral do here.
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