Grandad given just days to live when doctors found his liver riddled with tumours makes 'miracle' recovery

David Thomas’s liver was riddled with tumours just five months ago – with 90 per cent of it covered – but has defied doctors to ring the bell marking the end of his chemotherapy.

The 74-year-old grandad, who admitted treatment was hell, has credited his rally back to fitness with the love of his family – and divine intervention.

He said: “It might sound crazy but I really believe that the prayers from my Christian friends, my family and a positive mindset got me through this.

“I believe that if you want to get well, you can. It’s all in your own mindset.

“What has happened to me has really opened my eyes, and I genuinely believe my recovery was a miracle.”

Mr Thomas, of Lynwood Drive, Stalmine, was visiting his daughter Katy Leigh last September when he thought he’d had a stroke.

An ambulance was called, with Mr Thomas so delirious by the time paramedics arrived she thought he was showing signs of dementia.

Confused, he was rambling and had no idea where he was – despite being “completely normal” just minutes earlier.

His muddled state continued as he waited to be examined at Blackpool Victoria Hospital with Katy and his wife of 26 years, Linda.

Katy, one of four children, said her dad thought he was a plumber and fiddled with the hospital taps – trying to fix them - despite being a lifelong musician.

The odd behaviour continued for another week. Then, after he came to his senses, medics delivered the horrific news: Mr Thomas did not have Alzheimer’s disease, but three different types of aggressive cancer.

“I was told I had lung, liver, and adrenal cancer,” he said.

“My only symptoms were a cough which I had for quite a long time, but it didn’t stop me doing things.

“I was still helping my sister with moving furniture, I felt fine.

“I never thought this would happen to me. I’ve never really been ill in my life.”

Because of his confusion, Mr Thomas’s family were told the news before he did, and Katy described her dad’s reaction when he found out.

“I couldn’t believe how strong he was,” she said. “He just said, ‘Okay, what do I need to do then? How do we fight this?’ And I was so proud.”

Despite being told he could have less than a week to live, and being reluctant to suffer the ordeal of chemotherapy, Mr Thomas decided to battle the disease – and the odds – for the sake of his loved ones.

He said: “I either had to comes to terms with what was happening, or curl up and die. I wasn’t going to have chemotherapy because I’d heard such horror stories about the side effects, but my family urged me to keep fighting for my life and I felt so selfish, so I agreed.

“The side effects were awful, I had chemo through a drip at the oncology department and chemo in pill form every day for a week at home.

“I don’t know how I’d have got through it without my wife Linda, I was so floored from the treatment that she had to keep on top of all the different pills I had to take.

“I feel so sorry for people who don’t have the support of family, they truly got me through this.”

Mr Thomas started his chemotherapy shortly after his diagnosis, and scans showed at the beginning that nine-tenths of his liver was covered in tumours.

He weighed 13.5 stone when he fell ill, and rapidly deteriorated to just over nine stone.

He had six bouts of chemo altogether, and rang the bell at the Vic – a symbolic act to declare treatment over – two weeks ago.

His liver is now 90 per cent clear.

Mr Thomas wants to spread his inspirational message to other cancer sufferers and their families by creating a short documentary to show his journey to health.

VIEW DAVID'S VIDEO HERE.

He will also undergo radiotherapy, which he hopes will clear his body of the disease completely, and will document the trials and tribulations.

“My advice to anyone going through this is don’t give up, keep going, you can do this with the right support,” he added.

“There is real hope for everyone, and there is someone out there to help.”

Lung cancer symptoms

> having a cough most of the time

> changes in a cough you have had for a long time, changes in sound or pain when you cough

> getting out of breath

> coughing up phlegm with blood in it

> having an ache or pain in the chest or shoulders

> chest infections that keep coming back or a chest infection that doesn't get better

> losing your appetite

> extreme fatigue

> losing weight

Liver cancer symptoms

> weight loss

> jaundice of the skin and whites of eyes

> itching

> nausea

> swollen abdomen

> loss of appetite or feeling full after eating small amounts

> pain in your abdomen or your right shoulder

> a lump in the right side of your abdomen

Adrenal cancer symptoms

> raised blood pressure

> passing urine frequently

> muscle cramps

> weight gain that is more noticeable around the abdomen

> muscle wasting in the legs or arms, making them look thinner

> fat accumulation in the base of the neck

> swelling of the face giving a rounded appearance

> abnormal hair growth on the face, arms and upper back