A father was initially dismissed when he raised concerns about troubling cancer symptoms, being told they were likely due to consuming ‘too many fizzy drinks’.
Tom Hayman, 28, endured several months of severe discomfort, which was attributed to acid reflux, only to later discover that he had a rare form of cancer, leaving him gravely ill.
The plumber from Warrington, UK, experienced sickness since 2024 but alleges that his healthcare provider downplayed his symptoms and assured him there was ‘nothing to worry about’ due to his age of 27 at the time.
Because of his young age, it was suggested that he was ‘too young to have cancer’. However, subsequent tests unveiled a rare and incurable tumor.
His fiancée, Mary Cooper, remarked that his troubling symptoms were disregarded.
“He’s a 6ft 5ins lad who loves his food – but all of a sudden, it was like he started forgetting to eat,” she explained. “He just didn’t want food. If he did eat, he’d get really bad stomach pains. He also started to lose a lot of weight.”
Scans eventually identified a neuroendocrine tumor in his pancreas, which had metastasized to his liver after half a year of seeking answers.
A neuroendocrine tumor develops in neuroendocrine cells, which are responsible for hormone regulation. Symptoms of cancer in these cells can include a lump, discomfort in the affected area, and unintended weight loss.
Mary stated: “They were just fobbing us off with things like ‘you drink too many fizzy drinks’.”
Doctors initially linked Tom’s symptoms to acid reflux, a condition he had previously experienced, but the source of the pain was in ‘his liver area’.
While Mary acknowledged that Tom was ‘worried’, she recounted how the ‘doctor laughed and said he wouldn’t have cancer at his age,’ though a referral was made to Warrington Hospital for scans to ease his concerns.
“A day later, they rang to say they’d found something on his liver.”
The couple subsequently traveled to London for further evaluation, where Tom was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor that had spread, as well as a blood clot in his liver.
In May 2025, Tom was referred to Clatterbridge, with his fiancée asserting that he felt ‘not listened to and almost mocked’.
With no available cure in the UK, the family initiated a GoFundMe campaign to facilitate Tom’s travel to Germany for dendritic cell therapy.
This therapy is a form of immunotherapy designed to enhance the body’s natural response to combat cancer.
Mary noted that Tom learned about this treatment through social media.
Despite the adversity, Mary shares that Tom remains optimistic, expressing: “He believes that if he thinks positively, then positive things will come. He takes everything in his stride.”
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.