Stanford-le-Hope dad with cancer 'overwhelmed' by support

Jake Watts, 29, was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma in his skull, a form of bone cancer "rare" to discover in the skull following a "routine" Specsavers appointment at their Grays branch in 2024.

A fundraiser was launched to support him as he makes the daily trip for proton beam therapy at University College London Hospital following a total of 24 hours on the operating table across two separate surgeries to remove the majority of the tumour while expecting his daughter Orla.

Family - Jake underwent surgery while his partner Chloe was expecting (Image: Chloe March / SWNS)

Jake said the fundraiser had made a "massive" difference to his young family as he pays £25 for daily travel to receive the treatment.

Jake said: "I have been completely overwhelmed by the response honestly, I'm about halfway through my treatment now and it has helped me an my family massively.

"I was hesitant about the fundraiser at first as asking for help online isn't something that would really cross my mind, but I didn't realise just how expensive getting to and from the hospital would actually be.

Surgery - Jake underwent two treatments to remove the bulk of the tumour (Image: Chloe March / SWNS)

"It costs me £25 per journey there and back, so for five-days-a-week that very quickly adds up.

"It's hard for me to put into words what it's meant to me, it's really given us breathing room while I go through this and taken away so much pressure we would have faced if it hadn't been done.

"I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated, I never thought it would reach as far and connect with as many people as it has."

Overwhelmed - Jake said he had been blown away by the support (Image: Chloe March / SWNS)

The dad-of-one is handling his treatment well and said doctors were pleased with his progress, and urged anyone with doubts about their health to have them checked as it could make a "huge" difference to their treatment.

Positive - Jake's doctors say he is responding well to the treatment (Image: Jake Watts)

Jake said: "Everyone is pleased with how my treatment is going and I feel okay at the moment, speaking with other people going through it I think I'm coping with it as well as I could hope for.

"All I would say to anyone is if you suspect anything is wrong or you are feeling off, don't be afraid or put off getting a check-up.

"It can make a huge difference."

The fundraiser can be supported at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jake-fight-cancer-not-financial-worries