Below he tells his story in his own words.
I was born in Hungary and I moved to the UK in 2004 after graduating as a teacher. I've lived here as a citizen since 2013.
In January 2022, I went back to Hungary to visit my family, and that's when I found out that I had a problem with my left shoulder (scapula). My mother noticed a lump on it, which grew overnight.
I was in immense pain but after a few days the pain subsided.
The fact there was something visible from the outside helped me to go to the doctor. I had no previous symptoms before this.
The doctor in Hungary advised me to go to a specialist for an MRI scan when I got back to England. After a few PET scans and biopsies, I was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in March 2022.
It was a shock to the system, I had just started a new job. My employer was very supportive and understanding, so I'm very lucky in that sense. All the support really helped me in the beginning to deal with the shock.
I live with my partner, Oliver, we've been together for over ten years now. He is a big support, emotionally as well as physically. He takes me to the hospital for treatment, filling the chauffer role as well as the day-to-day tasks.
The news was a huge shock to us, but we tried to see it in a positive light, because we felt there was no point dwelling on things. What can we do about it?
I was treated at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital in Oxford, one of the UK's five specialist bone sarcoma centres. I feel very lucky to be treated there, and maybe it is a good thing that I'm a special type of case, because I've been seen very quickly by a specialist.
My treatment started with chemotherapy, the VDC/IE combination. After my ninth cycle, I received a scapulectomy to treat the primary tumour and metastasis on my right arm (humerus). Both surgeries were carried out at the same time, to reduce the risk of infection.
The surgery itself didn't worry me. I'm interested in science and medicine, and I trust the staff. They do the best they can, and they have my best interests at heart.
I wasn't anxious about the surgery, but how I would cope afterwards. It's the incapacity I was worried about, but it has to get worse before it can get better.
I continued with VDC/IE after my surgery up until the fourteenth cycle. This was followed by radiotherapy on both my left shoulder and my right arm.
Apart from fatigue, loss of energy and loss of muscle mass due to inactivity, chemotherapy wasn't too bad. I haven't felt sick, had too many really bad days, or anything like that.
Sometimes I would do a bit of work in the hospital, just to keep my mind off things.
A couple of days after chemotherapy, I started to feel better each day. They give you extra medicine to help you cope with the side effects and it works really well.
After three months, in February - March 2023, the cancer returned to my right arm. I was given high dose ifosfamide treatment, but this was stopped in August 2023 as the tumour wasn't responding.
I'm now receiving palliative care and was given six months to live in November 2023.
It was a snakes and ladders experience, with lots of improvements for a while followed by setbacks. I couldn't have kept up the positive attitude without the great team of nurses in the oncology/sarcoma unit, and my partner's positive encouragement and constant care.
You have to trust your oncologist's decisions and choice of treatments, but never be afraid to ask questions and express your feelings. Surround yourself with people who are positive and don't be too afraid to tell off your friends and family if they're toxically positive, in denial, or too much to be around.
Ewing sarcoma usually affects young people. Since I was diagnosed aged 43, I'm right at the outer limit of the age range, and so it is even more rare in my case. I'm lucky that it was in my scapula, which meant the tumour could be removed without limb loss. I'm grateful that I could be treated without losing any limbs.
Early diagnosis can be the difference between life and death. The sooner treatment can start before the cancer spreads, the higher the chance of survival.
Gabor sadly died on 2nd May 2024. His partner, Oliver, continues his story.
I will never forget the day when Gabor's medical team at Oxford's Churchill Hospital gave us the news of his prognosis and that their care for him was now complete.
The immense sadness, followed by the worry of what would we do now, who will help Gabor with the next part of his journey?
We were referred to St Michael's Hospice in Basingstoke. Having a local team we could rely on for palliative care was comforting to us both. Meeting the team there, visiting the hospice and receiving support with home visits from the nursing team when Gabor was struggling with pain, together with the occupational team providing equipment to assist Gabor at home and make him comfortable, really helped us cope with what was to follow.
Gabor kept positive, we took the opportunity to utilise the counselling service provided by the hospice and Gabor enjoyed the complimentary therapy of specialised massages. He never gave up and embraced the powered wheelchair that was needed for him to remain mobile.
When the weather was dry, we would go for a 'walk/roll' around the park. Having the opportunity to engage with others uplifted Gabor's energy.
I had to stop working and my role of the caregiver/support provider was a big challenge. Keeping a brave face for Gabor, adjusting to this new chapter and juggling my feelings and emotions was extremely difficult.
My world was shattered. I relied on the counselling service provided by my employer, and friends and family, for help.
Gabor and I chose for him to pass away at the hospice, he liked it there and the environment was warm and homely. The relationships he had built with the team of doctors and nurses was wonderful. We felt so loved there.
Gabor was fascinated by medicine and the human body. He was inquisitive about what was being done to his body and pleased that he could contribute to science and enjoyed sharing his journey with others.
His happy face chatting away to those who felt comfortable to engage with cancer will live on in my heart.
We are so thankful to those who helped us. The team in the NHS and Oxford University Hospitals, St Michael's Hospice, and other organisations that stepped in to provide support, guidance and equipment all made Gabor's journey easier. Both of our employers were proactive in giving us time and resources away from the workplace. It is frightening to think what would happen if we didn't receive this assistance.
Now that Gabor is gone, I'm utilising the bereavement service provided by the hospice. Going back there helps give me strength to continue, the love I have received is something that I will always be grateful for.
I appreciate what others did, and continue to do, to help me. Sharing Gabor's story is an opportunity to help others who are facing the difficult road ahead. I miss Gabor so much... I'm taking this time now to heal.
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