'I'm 32 and have with stage 4 cancer - one thing is keeping me going'

At the age of 32, Josh Vintner-Jackson received the devastating news that no one ever wants to hear - he had been diagnosed with stage four cancer. Josh, a life coach and mentor, is now in a desperate race against time to build his 'war chest' to fund access to specialist drugs that could give him the best chance of beating the disease.

Thanks to generous donations to his GoFundMe page from big names such as Raymond Blanc, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and his former Made In Chelsea pal James Dunmore, not to mention support from Piers Morgan and George Lineker, Josh has managed to raise an impressive £110,000 in less than a week. However, he still needs your help.

Back in 2020, Josh was employed by a start-up company in Texas, USA. He was so fit he even completed six gruelling marathons in five days through Jordan's Wadi Rum desert. But it was around this time that he started experiencing stomach pains and once couldn't sleep for a continuous 30-hour period, reportsThe Mirror.

Initially dismissed as suffering from constipation, Josh persisted until doctors discovered a tumour the size of a golf ball in his colon. At just 28, he was diagnosed with stage three cancer.

He revealed: "The doctors told me if I had left it any later it would have ruptured my colon and I could have died," Josh told The Mirror. He underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy over the next six months, which had to be done in complete isolation due to Covid restrictions. Josh explained:"The only person I saw was one friend every 12 days who drove me to chemo and then the nurses in the clinic. It was a long 6 months dealing with that alone and living in the confines of my apartment."

By April 2021, his cancer had entered remission, and within a month he completed the Austin marathon in 1 hour and 49 minutes, raising £3,829 for cancer research.

Now, five years into his cancer battle, this sum has been overshadowed by his fundraising efforts for a "medical war chest" of specialist treatment, including self-funded chemotherapy, needed "not just survive, but to thrive".

He said: "Standard treatment keeps me alive. But I'm not fighting just to survive, I'm fighting to thrive. To continue coaching others through their battles. To prove that with the right resources and support, Stage 4 doesn't have to be the end of the story."

With his cancer in remission, in July 2021, Josh contracted Covid. Subsequently, dark spots emerged on his lungs. This was dismissed as a lingering consequence of the virus. Then in 2022, a biopsy revealed the dark spots were cancer cells which had spread from his colon to his lungs.

He was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer of the lungs and informed he would need to undergo chemotherapy for the rest of his life. Josh decided to relocate back to the UK to be closer to his family and temporarily halted treatment as his condition had improved.

Unfortunately, this decision proved disastrous by February 2023. "This was a bad move, I developed a terrible cough and my breathing began to deteriorate", he said.

In December he underwent three rounds of radiotherapy targeting a lymph node in his pelvis. This was successful and the lymph node was eliminated. In February 2024, he resumed a comprehensive chemotherapy regime with treatment sessions every fortnight. This devastated Josh's respiratory system, his breathing declined dramatically and he is now unable to run or lift anything heavy.

He said: "It's tough, I'm still young - you have the mindset that you can carry on and do anything when you're young and then you're inhibited. I'm making the best, and then you're inhibited. I'm trying to make the best of it by setting small goals for my daily walks. Six weeks ago I had to pause six times going up a hill and now I can walk all the way up - I want to give myself these challenges."

In March of this year, he suspended chemotherapy. He suffered a serious lung infection and endured a 10-day hospital admission in April. In June, scans showed the cancer had metastasised to his spine.

He was hospitalised for a pulmonary infection, which resulted in cardiac surgery to drain fluid from around his heart. Between July and September, Josh endured 40 nights in hospital across three different medical facilities after experiencing severe abdominal pain - the root cause of which remains a mystery.

He shed 24kg in merely four weeks. "This was my toughest time to date, and I had no idea when it would end."

Now, Josh has relocated to Newmarket and has resumed chemotherapy. He said: "This has made my body recover from all the issues it had faced, currently on an upward tangent of recovery. The plan is to continue my chemo regimen and then have scans in December to determine if I need radiation for my vertebrae. Fingers crossed I don't."

Josh's chemotherapy treatment spans three days, during which he receives a transfusion before a drip bag containing 48 hours' worth of medication is connected to his chest.

He said: "For me that was the hardest thing - there is this alien device attached to you so you can't really go outside in case a toddler runs into you and knocks it off. The nausea is terrible. At the beginning, I stayed in bed the full-time."

Josh's September chemotherapy session proved agonising, and he informed medics he couldn't endure it again as he was being sick from the nausea every hour.

Doctors have now given him medication to control this. Josh said: "I urge people to have an open conversation as options are available to and doctors want to make it as comfortable as possible."

Josh underwent another round of treatment at the end of October, which is when his fundraising efforts really took off. He said: "This has refocused me more than ever in tackling this and made me want to make as much of a positive change and impression for other people in this position as I can."

Having retrained as a life coach for young cancer sufferers, Josh believes the campaign has propelled him into the next phase of his treatment. He said: "It is really humbling and heartwarming - I was in chemo whilst it was going on seeing all the messages and support -I feel overwhelmed."

However, this surge of positivity follows five years of gruelling hospital stays, chemotherapy, and surgery. Josh reached his £20,000 goal within hours of launching the GoFundMe page, thanks in part to a single donation of £9,163.

"I'd love to know who that was," he admitted. "On the day when I launched it I think it had 100 shares - there was a big variety in who posted it for me. Piers Morgan shared it as I went to school with his son. The fact he was happy to put it up was really heartwarming - and suddenly you have access to millions of followers."

Gardening, enjoying a hearty steak, and spending quality time with his family are the small rewards Josh sets for himself after enduring his treatment. He advised: "Mentally - knowing when the finish line is helps - so why don't you set yourself something nice for afterwards."

Josh discovered that battling cancer can be especially isolating for young people. Treatment centres and support groups are typically dominated by older patients, making it difficult to find peers of a similar age.

He encouraged young cancer patients to seek out and connect with one another. He explained: "For young people going through this - you feel like you're on you're on your own. It's important to know that you're not alone - there are charities available, there are people in the same position - and it's good to try and meet them. ".

Josh made light of having a photograph of an IV chemotherapy session as a dating app profile picture, noting that questions such as how to navigate romance during treatment remain largely unaddressed, but can be explored in these supportive environments.

"Josh is one of the most extraordinary people I know. Even in the face of the toughest fight imaginable, his courage, humour and determination never waver," said friend, Fred Nathan. "He has always been the person who lifts others up, and now he's showing all of us what real strength looks like.

"The way he's tackled every setback with grit and grace is nothing short of inspiring. His fundraiser going viral is a reflection of how deeply he's loved and how many lives he's touched, even total strangers." To donate to Josh's appeal, visit this link.