A CANCER survivor will lead the first 'Stand Up To Cancer' march in London – despite losing a leg to the disease.
Peter Daintree, who was just 30 years old when he was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a very rare cancer, was forced to have his leg amputated to save his life.
But the sports-loving dad didn't let that get in the way of him living his life, playing football and fundraising for cancer charities.
"I have been in remission from January last year, I have check-ups every three to five months, but of course I still think about it. The type of cancer I have, if it comes back it goes straight to my lungs, and that's not as easy to cure as cutting my leg off.
"But I have other things to look forward to, my son Joshua, who is five now, loves having a dad with a robotic leg, and my wife has another baby on the way."
Having been given the all-clear, and receiving an artificial leg, Mr Daintree, 32, was keen to get into sports and fundraising almost immediately, but he explained that the journey wasn't easy.
"Initially I was told I had gout in my foot, then when I went to hospital with a football injury, the consultant saw my foot and recommended an MRI scan, then a further MRI with dye, which I went home and googled – it came up saying that was a way to detect tumours," explained Mr Daintree of South Woodham Ferrers, who even did a 13,000ft sky dive last year.
"After the MRI, I went to a stag do in Tenerife. It was a great stag – but my foot swelled up so much on the plane, I couldn't get my shoe back on, so all the lads were calling me club foot and elephant man. The consultant told me I had to come in, but I said 'I'm on a stag do', and just got on and enjoyed it."
But when Mr Daintree returned, he was referred to another consultant, who confirmed he had a very rare cancer in his foot.
"I've never been one to google, but I did have a look online, and deep down I was worried. Me and my wife Arleigh spoke about it and she said that whatever happened we were going to face it head-on," he said.
"At the onset, I told my wife to go and have a better life without me, and her being a supportive wife told me to stop being silly and said she would stay with me through anything.
"After I was diagnosed, everything happened so quickly. My consultant said if I didn't have treatment I would be dead within six months as the cancer was so aggressive. Two days after I had a biopsy, I got really ill. My foot started growing and I was blue-lighted to Stanmore, where they found that the tumour was growing so fast it was breaking the bones in my foot.
"I then had to have high-dose chemotherapy, and I was told they wouldn't be able to save my foot, as within a couple of weeks the cancer had taken it over.
"I had eight sessions of chemo and then I had the amputation, but where they were initially going to take my foot, they told me the best chance at life would be if they took the leg below the knee."
Although Mr Daintree had to cope with chemotherapy, a treatment that left his mouth covered in ulcers and affected his appetite and ability to taste, his thoughts were first and foremost with his family.
"The hardest thing was watching my son see me change. I lost every bit of hair on my body. I look at photos of me back then and it doesn't look like the same person," he said.
"The decision to lose my leg was an easy one, the main thing was 'can I play with my son?'
"If I didn't have the amputation, I wouldn't see him grow up.
"When I was first diagnosed, I made friends with a guy who was terminally ill, who died in August 2102. Ben told me 'never give up, be strong, and always get out of bed in the morning'.
"He advised me to take the amputation; he didn't take it, he took limb-sparing surgery instead, and he said he wished he took the amputation because it ended up taking his life. Even today, I still see his face and remember what he said. I still talk to his wife and son, and I still do what he told me to do. It's having that support that makes the difference."
After having the amputation, Mr Daintree began further chemotherapy, initially being recommended six sessions but having to stop after two, as he became too ill.
But the decision to stop chemotherapy was no easy one. Mr Daintree faced the prospect of the cancer returning without the treatment, but was relived to find out that he was in remission in January 2013, and since then has grabbed life with both hands.
"I got my first leg in January 2013, and I started playing football again in March. I played for Southend Soccability, which is a pan-disability team, did a lot of training with them and started doing some rowing with Team GB, again it sort of got the better of me as my leg wasn't healing as quickly.
"I also started archery last week, it's something I thought I am naturally very good at and a couple of the coaches have good links to the GB Paralympic team, and I wanted to go to Rio and do something, so we'll see. I do more now than I did when I had two legs. But really it's not about me any more; it's about my little boy."
Mr Daintree will take a leading role in the March on Cancer on October 11 in which tens of thousands of people will walk collectively in 15 different cities to remember those who have lost their lives to cancer, those who are still fighting and to celebrate the lives saved by research.
To donate, log on to www. justgiving.com/PeterDaintree1981
