Man with terminal cancer who dreamed of going on road trip given days to live

13 January 2024 , 21:46

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Brave Liam Griffiths spoke out last year after being diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of just 31. (Image: Liam Griffiths / SWNS)

A terminally ill former rig worker whose dying wish was to drive the North Coast 500 with his dad has gone into hospice care, with only days left to live.

Brave Liam Griffiths spoke out last year after being diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of just 31. He began suffering with stomach swelling, chronic constipation, cramps and vomiting in March, but decided to avoid making a fuss and power on as he was self-employed and needed the money. Liam's symptoms eventually became unmanageable and he went to hospital, where he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease - then bowel cancer.

Now, in a heart-breaking update, his 56-year-old mum, Susan Huskinson said: "Liam is on his last days of his life." She said that most people would have died by now, but her son's heart is so strong from his fitness regimes that he is "fighting all the way".

She said: "He is in lots of pain and they are struggling to manage it as his tolerance to medication is so high He wants to go now, he cannot handle the life he has. Me, his dad and his brothers are all taking turns each sitting with him and staying over so when he opens his eyes he has one of us there. It is breaking my heart as he is my baby and I cannot imagine my life without him. This is an experience I would never wish on anyone, losing their child, but I know millions do."

Susan, who is also mum to Daniel, 35, and Arron, 32, said family and friends have had the words "Forever Young" tattooed on them in tribute to Liam's battle and added "that is what he is", reports the Daily Record. Just last month Liam, from Ingleby Barwick, North Yorkshire, spoke out encouraging people to get checked out sooner if they have medical problems.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Liam Griffiths in hospital following his terminal cancer diagnosis (Liam Griffiths / SWNS)

Liam Griffiths began suffering with stomach swelling, chronic constipation, cramps and vomiting in March (Liam Griffiths / SWNS)

He said: "Not getting checked sooner is the biggest mistake I've ever made. They found my cancer at stage three advanced - but if I had just gone to see the doctors earlier maybe they could have caught it. I was self-employed, and I needed the money, so I just kept powering through. I did what I thought a man needed to do. I was manning up."

Liam said: “As soon as they said for me to bring my mum, Susan, I knew. I don’t even remember the hospital trip - I’ve just blocked the trauma out. I remember I asked what my life span would look like and my doctor said he doesn’t want to give me a timeframe of when my life could end, because he doesn’t want me to focus my whole life around it.

“I agreed and just decided I wanted to get home, fulfil some wishes and just live my life while I can. There were things on my bucket list I would have liked to have do, like going skiing, doing Tough Mudder and swimming with sharks. But now I have to choose things that let me sit down, as I won't physically be able to do things I originally wanted to. I think my mum wants to plan a train trip."

Zesha Saleem