A cancer patient has shared incredible scan photos that appear to show his tumour disappearing, despite doctors giving him just 12 months to live.
Kye Eastwood, 24, from Hull, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2014 – and after chemotherapy failed to destroy his aggressive tumours, he was given a year to live.
Devastated, Kye and his fiancé, Chanelle Urquhart, 21, were forced to do their own research in a bid to save his life.
After setting up a GoFundMe page, Kye's family raised £30k for a life-saving trip to the US to try a clinical trial.
Thankfully the treatment has been a success – and through using stem cells from his sister, Rebecca Featherstone, 28, his cancer is dramatically shrinking. Kye, who has been in the US since July, is now almost in remission.
Scans showing Kye's cancer shrinking
Kye, the former mechanics student said: "After seeing my scans I couldn't believe how big my tumour in my chest was, it was showing up black on the scan so it was clear to see.
"When my doctors in the UK told me there was nothing else they could do, I just couldn't accept it, I was in shock that I had cancer in the first place.
"I don't blame them, I know they exhausted all options that were available to me on the NHS, but it felt like they just weren't as determined to help me as I was.
"When I found out about the treatment in the US I was so nervous, I was terrified that if it didn't work it would have wasted a lot of precious time away from home.
"Thankfully the treatment which involved transferring Rebecca's stem cells into my body has been a huge success – I'm over the moon with my results and the scans are incredible!
"I am so grateful for everyone who helped raise the money to get me over here, I can now start to live my life again."
Kye pictured with sister Rebecca and fiancée Chanelle
In December 2014, doctors at Castle Hill hospital in Hull told Kye that there was nothing more they could do to treat his aggressive cancer and gave him a year to live.
But In June last year, a family member in the US told Kye about the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Texas and said they were providing clinical trials that might be able to help.
Kye said: "I was told not to bother looking for anything in America because UK doctors thought there was nothing that could save me.
"But when I was told about the US treatment I was given a life-line, a chance of surviving.
"I knew I had to give it a go so my family helped me raise £30,000 for the consultation.
"The centre referred me for free treatment at a research hospital in Maryland where I trialled a new combination of drugs.
"My tumour shrank by 70 per cent and I was allowed home to spend Christmas with my family.
"But when we returned to the US in January, tests showed that new cancer 'hot spots' had appeared in my body and doctors feared that the medication was allowing my cancer to spread."
After coming off the drugs, doctors relied solely on the allogenic stem cell transplant which Kye had received in November 2015.
Rebecca's stem cells were transferred into Kye's body, in the hope of replacing his immune system and enabling it to grow back stronger.
To receive an allogenic stem cell transplant in the UK requires the patient to be in remission however, this requirement does not apply in the US.
Miraculously, Rebecca's stem cells began to shrink Kye's cancer, reducing the size and the aggressiveness of the tumour.
And thanks to the life-saving treatment, Kye's tumour has now shrunk so drastically that doctors struggled to measure it.
Kye has finally been allowed to go home and is over the moon to be returning to his family and friends after spending eight months in and out of hospital.
He will have to fly back to the US over the next five years for regular check-ups, but things are finally looking hopeful for Kye.
He added: "Having to move away from home and leave my family has been the hardest part of it all.
"I've had to change my lifestyle quite drastically, instead of going to work I was going for treatment - it's been a lot to deal with.
"It's been extremely difficult at times but I always told my dad that I wouldn't let cancer kill me.
"I can finally take my life off hold and move forward with things like getting myself a career.
"In the future I hope to live a normal life, free from cancer, which I think will be hard after all of this but I'm going to try my hardest."
A spokesman for Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust said: "Whilst we cannot comment specifically on Mr Eastwood's case for reasons of patient confidentiality, we do believe our staff explored all possible treatment options available on the NHS, to assist with his condition.
"We appreciate this may still be a stressful time for Kye and his family, but we're pleased to see the alternative treatment he is receiving appears to be proving effective."
Read more: www.gofundme.com/helpkyefly
Click on image to launch slideshow:
