A man who was diagnosed with terminal cancer aged 30, a year after getting married, has issued a poignant message that everyone should 'live life to the full'. Adam Raszka has an extremely rare and aggressive form of sarcoma and is undergoing a third round of chemothera[y to extend his life.
Adam said: "Just don't wait until it's too late. Live every moment you can." He added: "Don't wait for next year, or the next few months because it might be too late or it might never happen. Just do what you want, basically."
Adam is currently with the Riders of Charity on the 'Wild Atlantic Way' to raise money. He said: "I've been to Wales two or three times.I went to Amsterdam, that was really fun. I've been to Scotland and now in Ireland doing the charity run, it's more than I could have hoped for.
"It's still a bit of a struggle to enjoy everything with the side effects. For a week I've had side effects so I have not been able to enjoy it as much. It's being knocked around, being tired, I do need to be quite close to the toilet as well, let's say."
The cancer was identified after he attended a hospital check up for a "tender and painful" cyst on his groin in August 2020. Though the growth was not a result of the cancer, the terminal disease was spotted when scans were carried out, reports BirminghamLive.
In March this year he faced the choice of trying another round of chemotherapy or enjoying his last months. "I didn't know if to take it, I was really really down, I've never been so down in my life.
"But I had a scan and this chemo actually has been very good. Some of the tumours shrank, some stayed the same. I will be getting another scan within a few weeks and I'm quite afraid of that one. Last time when the chemo didn't work out, I had panic attacks and everything. Now I know this chemo has started working, I've got that hope again and I'm afraid to lose that again."
He fears the chemotherapy will stop working "at any time", with no real estimate on how long he has left. "It's hard to do any estimate because it's a very rare condition, there's not much data. Now that chemo worked and I've got more time and I'm really glad for it, but at any time that chemo can stop working.
"I'm really grateful for all the help I get from the doctors and nurses because I'm already past 18 months from diagnosis whereas usually people live for 18 months, from the data that there is. It was a nice feeling, I'm still here, I can still enjoy. I've been lucky, in being unlucky."
He and his wife launched a GoFundMe campaign to help him live his last few months in March, with over £8,000 raised despite an initial £3,000 goal.
He added: "That GoFundMe campaign looking a few months back, was really needed for me. All the positivity I had, really did help a lot. I wanted to say a big thanks to everyone who donated to the campaign. I've just been enjoying small things, enjoying the time we've got together. Small things like going to restaurants, going for coffee, or big things like going to Scotland."
The Riders of Charity 2022 tour takes motorcyclists along the 'Wild Atlantic Way' to raise money for various charities. This year they are raising money for: Alzheimer's Society, The Stroke Association, Air Ambulance UK and Mental Health Motorbike.
After the tour Adam said he will be going straight from the ferry to hospital to resume chemotherapy and for "all the check ups".
He added: "Also, I wanted to say a big thanks to my wife, she's very brave and very strong and a big thanks to the NHS, all the doctors, all the nurses - who are just amazing."
