It all started with some occasional heartburn at certain meal times. The strongest painkiller super-sporty teen Ethan Hamer had ever taken was Capol, so his parents Barri and Debbie weren't overly concerned and thought the occasional burning sensation in his upper chest could be linked to growing pains, or an intolerance to certain foods.
Those pains started just over six months ago, in the springtime of 2022. In May, their 14-year-old son won the Caerphilly 2K run, and in June he finished fourth in the Welsh 800m Championships. Every week, he played football for Cwrt Rawlin Football Club, Risca Academy and for his school St Martins Comprehensive.
But, just weeks after suffering those pains the teenager, from Caerphilly, was bedridden, floored by a rare and aggressive form of cancer that is normally only seen in elderly patients. It is so rare that doctors at the Noah's Ark Hospital in Cardiff have never seen a case in someone so young.
