A 33 year old man is facing a heart-breaking prognosis after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Stephen Lea from Bootle in Merseyside began suffering from back pain last year. Stephen, along with his partner Lucy Feeney, aged 30, initially attributed the discomfort to the demanding hours of his roofing job. However, an MRI scan conducted in January revealed that he had stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The NHS explains that this form of cancer causes lymphocytes to lose their ability to fight infections, increasing susceptibility to illnesses. While back pain is not typically associated with this disease, it can be an indicator. The NHS also notes that non-Hodgkin lymphoma may progress slowly and often without noticeable symptoms. Despite undergoing multiple treatments, Stephen’s condition continues to worsen, reports the Manchester Evening News.
He shared: “It was around October 2023, we’d just been to Venice for my girlfriend’s birthday and I had back pain. I just thought it was normal wear and tear through work. Then I started going down the route of trying to ease any pain. I’d lie down on my back for 10 minutes to try and stop it. But it was getting beyond a joke.” Stephen recounted his ordeal with persistent pain and the numerous doctors who attributed it to muscle issues, until a private physiotherapist recommended an MRI scan.
After undergoing an NHS scan on January 23, 2024, Stephen received shattering news the following day. He shared: “I was sitting there in the hospital waiting seven hours for results. Then I got told I had to be kept in hospital.” He described the moment of diagnosis: “I was sitting on a bed and it took a while to process it. I tried to take it my stride. Then I wanted to go home but I was told I couldn’t go anywhere. I had to stay on site. I was straight onto IV drips and steroids.”
Lucy reflected on the emotional impact: “We were together when we found out. We kind of knew it was going to be something sinister. But he was working long hours, he was healthy. You never think it’s going to happen to someone you love. It was just a whirlwind. You can’t put into words how it feels.” Stephen has since endured a gruelling 18 months of treatment, including chemotherapy, emergency radiotherapy, CAR-T cell therapy, and immunotherapies.
Despite initially believing his youth might favour his recovery, recent scans indicate that Stephen’s cancer is advancing, leaving him with few NHS treatment options and uncertain about his future. Stephen revealed: “At the beginning, I had six rounds of chemotherapy. When I was going through, I was under the impression there was a good chance of remission. But there’s not much else they can do after four different types of treatment. I’ve also been told you can’t put a timeframe on it because you can’t see how much it’s grown.
“One doctor predicted weeks to a short month. A second doctor said he was surprised I’d got through all the treatments and was still here. He said, ‘you’d be lucky to get to winter.’ I predict I’ve got around two months but I haven’t been told that. I did emergency radiotherapy and emergency chemo. When that didn’t work, that was seen as the final straw. It was that bad of an outcome.”
Set to undergo a new combination of cancer drugs tomorrow aimed at treating non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Stephen is the focus of a fundraising effort by his mate Gary Jones. The campaign aims to finance alternative treatments and create cherished memories for Stephen and his loved ones. Stephen explained: “The NHS don’t support these and they all cost money. I’ve still got my job but I’m on SSP (statutory sick pay).”
He continued, discussing the financial impact: “I’m taking a massive deduction in terms of my own income. To do these treatments, I’ll need to pay about £300 to £400 a week. It won’t be easy to do that. The main reason we’ve set it up is to help fund these other pathways and turn those weeks and short months into years. I don’t like handouts but we’re at the point where these things are costing a lot of money. If my girlfriend or I run out of money, I can’t pick out money from the sky.
“I massively appreciate the support anyone gives. I’ve seen support from people I went to school with. I didn’t expect it. The people that are close to me can take me to hospital. The people that are far away can’t do that, so if they can help in the way of donating, that’s great.”
Stephen has arranged a get-together at the Mel Inn pub in Bootle on Saturday July 26, extending an “open invite” to anyone who knows him. Stephen continued: “When the pain kicks off, I end up thinking that I won’t be here much longer. When the pain lessens, I don’t feel that way. I don’t know if when I die it’s going to be painful or not. The cancer is just as stubborn as I am and that’s what makes it hard for me. I just want to prove doctors wrong and still be here in October and November.”
You can find out more about Stephen’s GoFundMe here.
