'My son raised thousands for cancer research'

A chef has said his nine-year-old son was his "little superhero", after he did a sponsored run to raise money for cancer research when he fell ill.

Elan, 57, from Wolverhampton, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in late 2023, despite having had no unusual symptoms, and was warned he may not survive.

Elan's son Kurtis wanted to help his dad and asked to take part in an annual run last summer organised by Cancer Research UK – for which he ended up raising £3,000.

Kurtis and his dad - whose scans so far this year have shown him to be cancer free after surgery and chemotherapy - will kick off one of this year's races in Wolverhampton later this month.

"It was just – wow. Absolutely wow," Elan said of the moment he saw his son cross the finish line in his honour last year.

Cancer Research UK's annual Race for Life series involves 3k, 5k and 10k runs, plus runs through mud-filled obstacle courses for adults and children.

Elan, a father of four, was diagnosed with cancer in November 2023 after completing an NHS bowel screening kit that came through the post.

He had decided to do any health check that came his way after his cousin died unexpectedly from a heart attack, a loss that he said "hit me really hard".

But his cancer diagnosis, following further tests, was "a complete shock" as he had not had any unusual symptoms.

He went on to have surgery to remove a mass in his bowel, a dozen sessions of chemotherapy, and further surgery to remove part of his liver.

In early 2024, Kurtis said he wanted to do something to help his dad. He chose a mud-obstacle course run from Cancer Research UK's events and set up an online fundraising profile with his mum's help.

"[In his profile] he said he was the Robin to my Batman, and he wanted me to see him grow up," Elan said. "It was beautiful."

Elan was struggling with chemotherapy side-effects, such as severe nausea, when the run took place last June, but he still attended.

"I couldn't miss it," he said.

Elan and Kurtis will kick off Wolverhampton's Race for Life event on 18 May in West Park, where they will stand on a stage and sound a horn to start a 5k race.

Elan said the event, which will take place one day after Kurtis' 10th birthday, would be poignant because last year he did not know if he would still be alive in spring 2025.

"You've got to feel blessed for every day that you get," he said.

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