23-year-old Royal Engineer Kit Maytum – who was diagnosed with lung cancer last year – has raised over £2,500 for Young Lives vs Cancer by completing the Lisbon Marathon in the impressive time of 3 hours 51 minutes.
Kit – who was born and raised on the Isle of Wight – now hopes to complete the London Marathon next year.
The young soldier lost half his lung last year but is now believed to be free from cancer.
Kit tells his story below:
“Last year at 22 years old, I went to the hospital with a cough I couldn’t shake, and a few hours later I walked out of that hospital feeling like my life had just ended.
“The doctors had found a tumour in my right lung, they didn’t know at that time what it was but they had an inclination that it was cancer. Obviously this was a massive shock to me because I was 22, a soldier in the army, always worked out and looked after my body and had never smoked.
“Through numerous scans during the following weeks, the doctors had determined that it needed to be removed so I was put on a waiting list to have surgery.
Article continues below this advertisement “In November, I had the lower lobe of my right lung removed, which makes up for roughly 25% of your total lung capacity. I also had a couple of lymph nodes removed in which the cancer had spread to.
“The tumour turned out to be an Atypical carcinoid tumour, a rare form of cancer which makes up for less than 1 in 100 lung cancer cases. The doctors believed it was a carcinoid tumour before; however, it was the more rare and more malignant type.
“I had stage 3 cancer, however the prognosis was still positive if the surgery had went well.
“The doctors were unsure whether further treatments such as Chemo or radiotherapy were an option due to the lack of evidence supporting that it is more beneficial than harmful for this specific type of neuroendocrine cancer. Ultimately they decided against it and booked me in for scans to see how I was doing.
“In February 2024, after more PET and CT scans, it was found that I was amazingly cancer free, the surgery had been a massive success and that ultimately I could get back to living a normal life.
“My time with cancer was incredibly easy in comparison to most. I didn’t need chemo, I didn’t have it for long, and I was incredibly lucky. For most it is not that simple, and that is why I want to raise awareness and money.
“At a young age, you should not feel like you’re unsure on whether you’re going to grow old with your friends; you shouldn’t feel like you’re going to miss your best friends weddings, or seeing your niece grow up.
“I lived this for not even a year; a lot of people affected by cancer live it for years and don’t get as lucky as I did.
“Young lives vs Cancer support young cancer patients and their families in times they need it the most, with anything that might be of use, whether that is helping with school work, or simply someone to talk to.
“Sometimes you need an outlet from cancer, and to take your mind off it; that is what they do. It means so much to me, and I’m incredibly grateful to be able to support such an amazing charity.
Anyone wishing to donate to Young Lives vs Cancer may do so here
