Jamie was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma on September 9th 2010, he was just 17 years old.
Jamie's mum, Tracey shares his brave story...
How it started
He was in the prime of his career, wanting to join the army and passing the first test he was just awaiting the medical. He had 8 fights and won 6, really hoping to improve and turn professional.
Then, last September, Jamie went training and was in agony with pains in his head and what felt like an ulcer on the roof of his mouth. When we took him to Guildford Accident and Emergency, they found a lump on the roof of his mouth. After doing a biopsy they discovered it was a cancerous tumour in his right sinus pushing down on the roof of his mouth.
When they did further tests they told us it was Ewing sarcoma; a rare cancerous tumour that was 3.5 centimetres wide and had wrapped its self round the bones in my son's face. Jamie didn't let this get him down, but his dad and I were devastated.
Treatment begins
In order to remove the tumour he had to have strong chemotherapy to shrink it before they carried out surgery. Unfortunately he got infections after each course of chemo and has spent a lot of his time in the Guildford and Royal Marsden hospital.
We didn't seem to celebrate Christmas this year, as Jamie was in hospital, so we and his three brothers spent Christmas with him on the ward. To every doctor's amazement Jamie has been in the gym at every opportunity; pushing and fighting this evil disease.
On the 22nd February Jamie had major surgery to remove the tumour. They had to pull the roof of his mouth away, take 8 teeth out, plus remove the bone attached to his right sinus. When he came around the next day after surgery he didn't have any pain relief; much to the doctor's amazement. Jamie then had to have a further operation to take away the bones in the back of his face; again with no pain relief.
He has been his own dietitian and his own physiotherapist, putting on weight and taking protein shakes everyday; after trying really hard he's managed to put on a stone. Jamie has also inspired the children in the hospital. He has also been helping them to exercise, eat well and reassuring them through their time spent at the hospital. I've had so many mums thanking him!
He's met a lot of boxers and ex-boxers through his career and treatment who have really taken to him. Tim Witherspoon, American heavyweight boxer, organised an 18th birthday party for Jamie, Kevin Mitchell (professional British boxer) and Michael Sprott (British heavyweight boxer) came along too.
Jamie has never once complained about his cancer, all he wants to do is get back to boxing and help other people beat cancer. He was running for charity with cancer and never knew he had it and still wants to raise as much money as he can for everyone who's suffering the way he has.
Boxing has become Jamie's life and is what is getting him through this nightmare. His boxing trainer calls him the 'bionic man' as he is faster and stronger now than any of his friends in the club and they don't even have cancer!
The surgeons at the hospital are planning his reconstruction operations so he can still have a boxing career. He's got 4 more chemotherapy sessions to go then they need to take bone and tissue from his shoulder blade then put in his mouth and reconstruct it, he won't have teeth for 3 months whilst they put implants in the bone.
He really is a truly remarkable young man who is fighting the biggest fight of his life and is an inspiration to everyone battling cancer. I'm so proud of him and I've never in my life seen someone with as much determination as he has, he's unbelievable, like I said, this is the biggest fight he will ever have in his boxing career and from where I'm sitting - he's winning!
2016 Update: Wedding bells...
We are thrilled to hear the brilliant news that 'miracle man' Jamie has now got married! The fairy tale wedding....
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