Bone cancer patient walks 10k around Cheltenham Racecourse for charity
A bone cancer patient has trekked around Cheltenham Racecourse to raise funds for charity. Jordan Watts recently took part in the 10km walk whilst receiving proton beam therapy (PBT) to treat chondrosarcoma.
The 28-year-old is undergoing treatment for the most common form of primary bone cancer diagnosed in adults. He began experiencing pain in his lower back in April 2023, which continued for six months before he was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma.
His treatment involved nine rounds of chemotherapy at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Four rounds into treatment, Jordan developed an infection, which quickly progressed to pneumonia.
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Jordan was then placed on a ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Cheltenham General Hospital, which saved his life. Following his recovery, Jordan was put forward for proton beam therapy (PBT) at The Christie in Manchester.
He has since completed PBT and will now undergo more chemotherapy, which he hopes will mark the end of his treatment. He joined around 80 members of his family and friends at the home of jump racing, raising an impressive £2,946 for the Bone Cancer Research Trust.
Jordan said: “I knew it was going to be tough, both physically and mentally, but the support from my family and friends along the way kept me going. I wanted to give back to the charity that has been there for me whilst also raising awareness and inspiring others who may find themselves in a similar situation.”
Siobhan Cullen, Regional Relationship Manager at the Bone Cancer Research Trust, added: “Jordan’s involvement in the charity walk is nothing short of inspiring. To see someone undergoing treatment, yet still thinking of others and acting upon it, is truly humbling. It is only with the help of wonderful supporters like Jordan and his team that we can enable more patients to survive and thrive beyond primary bone cancer.”
For more information about chondrosarcoma and the signs and symptoms, visit the Bone Cancer Research Trust’s dedicated and accurate information resources.