A man who beat cancer as a teenager, only to be left infertile by the harsh treatment, has shared the heart-wrenching story of his adopted daughter being diagnosed with the same disease decades later.
A Teenager's Secret Battle
John Pattison, now 68, was just 18 years old when he was diagnosed with late-stage lymphoma. Initially dismissed by his GP as suffering from depression, John's symptoms – rapid weight loss, drenching night sweats, crippling fatigue, and even developing gynaecomastia – were finally taken seriously after he collapsed at work.
Rushed to hospital in South Shields, tests revealed the grim truth. "My parents were told that the chances of getting rid of this lymphoma were less than 50 per cent," John recalls. Terrified, his parents colluded with medical staff to keep the terminal prognosis from their only son.
John discovered the truth accidentally, by reading a newspaper article about another lymphoma patient. "That was when I then embarked on a roller coaster ride of emotional turbulence," he said.
Brutal Treatment and a Lifelong Cost
What followed was three and a half years of gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy in the 1970s. The side effects were, in his words, "absolutely brutal," with nausea and vomiting lasting ten solid days between sessions. The psychological toll was equally devastating, leading him to contemplate suicide on multiple occasions.
Miraculously, against all odds, the cancer disappeared. However, survival came with a devastating, unforeseen consequence. The chemotherapy had rendered him completely infertile, a fact he only discovered years later when trying for a family with his wife. "I felt very guilty for my then wife," John admits. "I thought I had trapped her into this marriage."
A Second Chance and a Cruel Twist
Determined to become parents, John and his wife turned to fostering and later adopted a two-year-old girl named Donna. "I raised her exactly as my own," he says.
Then, in a cruel twist of fate, John noticed a walnut-sized lump on four-year-old Donna's elbow. After multiple GP visits and courses of antibiotics, a biopsy was taken. The diagnosis was shattering: lymphoma. John was forced to watch his young daughter endure the same brutal chemotherapy he had survived. "If I could have accepted that chemotherapy on behalf of Donna, I would have happily done so," he said, describing the experience as one of utter helplessness.
Devastatingly, doctors later clarified Donna actually had a rare form of adult leukaemia mimicking lymphoma, and told John there was no treatment. Preparing for the worst, the family crammed a lifetime of love into their remaining time.
Miraculous Recovery and Paralympic Glory
In an inexplicable turn of events, Donna went into spontaneous remission. She not only recovered but thrived, taking up swimming despite suffering minor seizures from her treatment. She defied expectations to become an international paralympic swimmer, representing England and later Team Great Britain at the 1998 IPC World Swimming Championships in New Zealand, where she won two silver medals.
"She made me the proudest dad in the whole world," John beams. Donna, now 44, has children of her own, making John a grandfather to Kieran and Cara.
A Legacy of Survival and Service
John's own journey was not over. In 2018, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, a likely consequence of the cyclophosphamide drug used in his 1970s treatment. After surgery and further chemotherapy, he has now had two years clear.
Professionally, John channelled his experience into becoming a senior nurse specialist in haematology, caring for patients with the same diseases he and his daughter faced. He has also authored a memoir, Shadow of a Survivor, to inspire others.
Reflecting on his extraordinary life, John states: "Life is not a rehearsal. It's for living. It's a once only opportunity, but it's our responsibility to take that opportunity." His story stands as a powerful testament to resilience, the bonds of family, and the unpredictable nature of hope.
