It started as an ordinary lunch break — a bacon and sausage sandwich at work. But one bite changed everything.
When 39-year-old landscaper Des Longstaff felt his food stick in his throat, he brushed it off. Weeks later, after vomiting blood and finding traces in his stool, doctors discovered a 35-centimeter tumor in his oesophagus. By Christmas Eve, the diagnosis was official — stage-four oesophageal cancer, spread to his liver.
Doctors told Des he had just 12 months to live. “The treatment is palliative — to keep me comfortable so I don’t die straight away,” he said quietly. Yet, he refuses to give up. His only wish now is more time with his five-year-old son — “the apple of my eye.”
Unable to undergo surgery in the UK, Des is hoping to travel to Germany for an advanced procedure that could extend his life. His mother, Tracy, has raised over £32,000 toward the £42,000 cost. “This devastating news has shaken us to the core,” she said. “But we are resolute in fighting this battle together.”
For Des, every moment is now measured in love — not time. “I just want to see my boy grow up,” he says. And sometimes, hope itself becomes the strongest medicine of all.
