Dad fighting for life, battling terminal cancer after mistaking it for ‘bad flu’
A UK father-of-two is “praying for a miracle” after he was reportedly told he has only months to live, after initially thinking he was suffering from a bad case of the flu.
Phil Cox, 36, has spent the past 16 months fighting aggressive tumors which are rapidly growing throughout his body.
To add to his already tremendous health issues the father was recently also diagnosed with Leptomeningeal Disease.
Leptomeningeal Disease is a devastating and incurable complication of cancer which spreads to the brain and spinal cord.
He said he had recently been told he could have less than a year left to live.
Despite the news the Phil and his wife, Kerri, who met a little over six-years-ago are determined to stay positive.
The pair are desperately trying to find a way to prolong Phil’s life and have taken to social media in a bid to share his story, hopeful that it may lead to a miracle.
“We have got to be realistic; we are praying for a miracle,” Kerri told The Gazette Live.
“We know how it is going to end, but we are willing to do whatever it takes for us to give Phil more time.”
Within hours of the couple posting Phil’s story online, his plight went viral with people reaching out with ideas and advice from all over the world.
“We have been completely overwhelmed by the response we have had,” Kerri said.
“It is only early days, but we are looking at all options and we are doing our research to see what’s out there.
“We just want to thank everyone for the support. Phil just hopes the appeal will reach someone who may just have the answer we are looking for.”
Phil initially went back and forth to the doctors after he fell ill in September 2015.
“He just seemed to get worse so I went to the doctors with him. They took some more bloods and when they listened to his chest it was rattling so they sent us straight to A&E,” Kerri said.
Tests revealed Phil had secondary lung cancer - before doctors discovered the primary cancer as testicular.
The father then endured months of chemotherapy however the tumours have spread to his brain.
“It has been a complete and utter whirlwind,” Kerri said.
“No one likes to hear the word cancer but at first we were hopeful. We kept hearing that if there was the best type of cancer to get it was testicular, so that kept us positive.
“But everything went from bad to worse, and very quickly, I don’t even think we have had time to sit and let it sink in.
“I think that’s why we have thrown ourselves into this. If we can find a doctor somewhere, anywhere, who might be onto something in the way of treatment to prolong Phil’s life we will search for them. We have nothing to lose at the moment.”
7 News online has reached out to Phil for comment.
