Nickodemus Dacres has died at 23 after a stomach ache led to a diagnosis of one of the rarest cancers on record.
The Croydon, south London, resident passed away on September 26 from stage four medullary renal cell carcinoma, an aggressive kidney cancer that predominantly strikes adolescents and young adults with sickle cell trait or disease. His mother, Donna Dacres, 59, had remained at his side through more than a year of hospitalizations before his liver failed.
Donna described her son in a statement as a generous spirit cut down in his prime. “He was such a bubbly young man. He had a heart of gold and he loved to give,” she said. “As a mum, nothing prepares you for watching your child suffer knowing there is so little you can do to take the pain away.”
The first warning surfaced in July 2024 when Nickodemus developed extreme stomach pain during a work shift. What seemed routine turned alarming when he attempted to urinate and blood came out instead. A colleague rushed him to A&E, triggering months of testing that eventually revealed a small tumor in his right kidney.
By December 2024 surgeons had removed the kidney and several lymph nodes for further examination. The formal diagnosis came in February: medullary renal cell carcinoma, already metastasized to his lymph nodes and lungs. The cancer continued its advance despite chemotherapy, spreading to his liver and bones while Nickodemus vomited relentlessly and shed nearly 20 kilograms, dropping from 74kg to below 55kg.
Donna watched the physical collapse with anguish. “Watching that energetic, independent young man become so poorly has been absolutely heartbreaking,” she said.
A turn came when fundraising efforts secured targeted chemotherapy not routinely funded by the NHS. For weeks the vomiting stopped. Doctors indicated the treatment was working, and Donna allowed herself to believe her son would survive.
Then new symptoms emerged: dark urine, shoulder pain, jaundiced eyes, black vomit. Donna pressed doctors about possible liver complications, but repeated scans showed no change in the organ’s appearance.
She attended a church conference last week, her first time away from Nickodemus in over two years. Saturday morning brought a call from her son himself, telling her things “were bad.” Before she could reach the hospital, doctors called with word that he had died, his liver finally giving out.
“I just started to scream. I love him so much. He is my only son here, I don’t have anybody,” Donna said. “I had no indication that he was going to die. The one time I left him in over two years. I went to church and he died. He died by himself.”
Donna noted the extreme rarity of her son’s condition, saying she was told only nine other people in the UK share this cancer diagnosis. The Ricky Casey Trust, which focuses on the disease, states that true global prevalence remains unknown. The trust emphasizes that RMC demands entirely distinct medical protocols because it does not respond to standard clear cell renal cell carcinoma treatments.
Now Donna is raising funds to cover funeral costs while urging young people, particularly young Black men, to seek regular medical screening. “Young black guys need to go to their GP regularly to get checked. If you notice any abdominal pain do not ignore it,” she added.
Common symptoms of medullary renal cell carcinoma include blood in the urine, typically the earliest sign, alongside persistent pain or discomfort in the side, back or abdomen near the kidney area, unexplained weight loss, a palpable abdominal mass and fatigue.
Donna continues fundraising for her son’s funeral arrangements.