A Woking blood cancer survivor who is using his love of running to give back to a charity that supported him during his treatment.

James Chadwick, 27, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma three and a half years ago after becoming concerned about a large lump on his jaw. He said: “I went to get it checked out and was advised that it was probably just inflammation in my salivary gland and to rinse my mouth with salt water a couple of times each day. I had also been having night sweats but it was the summertime, so I didn’t think too much of it.”

“Eventually, I was sent for scans that all pointed to a benign cyst in my salivary gland and I had an operation to remove it. 

“The ‘cyst’ was then sent for analysis and the same surgeon who had told me it was likely benign broke the news to me on Christmas Eve 2020 that it was in fact cancerous. At that stage, it wasn’t clear if the operation alone had tackled it. I was then told on New Year’s Eve that I’d be having chemotherapy to ‘blast’ any remaining cancer. “

During his treatment James used his passion for running to help him cope with the treatments needed to tackle his cancer. Having built up his fitness since his treatment he is now taking on the London Landmarks Half Marathon in April to raise funds for Lymphoma Action, which is the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma.

He said: “My oncologist handed me an information book from Lymphoma Action and this became a bit of a bible for me.

“It didn’t just help me in getting to grips with my diagnosis and prognosis, but also when explaining it to friends and family. As we were in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic, my partner had to look after me and give me my cocktail of pills, but I know that she found the information on the Lymphoma Action website a great help as well. 

‘‘It is for this reason that I am choosing to support the charity, as they provided all the information I needed and were a great reassurance to me. Hopefully, my small contribution through generous supporters will allow the charity to continue to support others who are unfortunate enough to face lymphoma themselves”.

Speaking about the scale of the challenge James has said at one stage running a half maration would have been a distant dream.

He said: “I had always planned to do some kind of fundraising challenge after treatment. I tried to go for short runs while having treatment to stay active, and it really helped my mental health and general wellbeing.

“It got more difficult as treatment progressed but I was determined to continue and I certainly couldn’t have ever dreamed about doing a half marathon at that stage. In the course of my training since treatment though, I’ve pushed myself to run 10km, then 15km and 20km and am hoping to work towards the half marathon distance soon. 

‘‘I am so excited for the atmosphere on the day of the half marathon, and seeing the friends and family who were my support network on route will really help to keep me going - as it did when I was having treatment.” 

Laura Thompson-Watts, Challenge Events Fundraiser at Lymphoma Action, said: “We are so grateful to James for his support and wish him the best of luck ahead of the half marathon.

“Every 26 minutes one of us is diagnosed with lymphoma. Thanks to amazing people like James, we can continue to provide vital information and support to make sure no one has to face lymphoma alone.”

Lymphoma Action is inviting everyone to join #TeamLymphoma in 2024 for a fundraising challenge to support their work in providing people with the information and support they need during their lymphoma diagnosis, treatment and beyond.

The charity has many challenges to get involved in, with something for all ages and abilities. 

Visit www.lymphoma-action.org.uk/take-challenge for further details on how to raise funds and awareness about the UK’s fifth most common cancer.

James’s fundraising page can be found at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/james-chadder