A Milton Keynes man who beat cancer last year, is set to run the 2025 London Marathon to raise valuable funds for cancer research.
In January 2023, Danny Simmons found a lump and decided to call the GP to have it checked out. At his appointment, Danny mentioned experiencing occasional aches but was not too concerned. Following the consultation, Danny’s GP prescribed him medication as it was suspected to be an infection.
A few weeks later Danny made another appointment with his GP as, although the pain had gone, the lump was still there. He was then referred to MK Hospital for an ultrasound. Two and a half weeks later, Danny received a call from his GP informing him that his results were back and that everything was alright. Still being unsure of the need for the ultrasound, Danny requested an appointment with his GP to discuss the results in depth.
Four weeks later, Danny returns to his GP to discuss the results. Danny said, “She mentioned that I have a benign cyst in my right testicle, which isn't a cause for concern but I should be aware of it.”
It wasn't too long until Danny had another appointment, where the first mention of surgery was made. It was advised that surgery may be necessary to remove the lump and find out what it was.
“A few more weeks go by and I get another appointment with the doctor. He said that the surgery would happen, they needed to get the testicle out, and I would hear back with an operation date”, Danny said.
Danny had a successful surgery with no complications and was discharged to go home. His recovery was fine, he walked as much as he could and found himself back at work three weeks after surgery.
On June 7, 2023, five weeks after his surgery, and two weeks after returning to work, Danny attends another appointment, with his wife, where he is told he has testicular cancer.
“That hit me hard”, Danny said. “I zoned out and was just shocked. I knew it was a suspicion but I was always led to believe that it still may be a cyst.”
Danny’s chemotherapy consisted of three cycles, each cycle lasting 21 days, with each cycle being more intense and difficult.
Danny said, “They said it was accumulative, and wow, they weren't lying. The WORST I've ever felt. I struggled to get up in the morning and had terrible acid reflux. I was determined to try and get each day out the way.”
A few weeks after finishing his treatment, Danny received a letter requesting he have another CT scan to see if the chemotherapy had worked.
On November 20, 2023, following the CT scan, Danny had an appointment where he was told that he was cancer-free.
As someone who has experienced first-hand how debilitating and cruel cancer is, Danny has made the decision to run the 2025 London Marathon in hopes of raising vital funds for the charity, Cancer Research UK, and playing a part in ending the disease.
Danny told MKFM, “I'm running the London Marathon 2025 for Cancer Research UK and raising valuable funds to help bring an end to Cancer.”
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world’s largest independent cancer research organisation. It is a non-profit organisation that provides research services for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer diseases.
If you would like to support Danny and donate, you can visit his Cancer Research fundraising page, where you can also find a more detailed story of his experience.
