Supa Chantschool was eight years old when his parents took him for travel vaccinations ahead of a family holiday to Thailand and Europe. Instead of one appointment, the visits multiplied, and he eventually ended up in hospital. He had been diagnosed with hepatitis B, a blood-borne virus he contracted at birth from his mother. The condition is estimated to affect over 260,700 people in England.
Being completely asymptomatic – like most people with hepatitis B – his diagnosis was a chance spot. While healthy adults usually clear the infection, children are more likely to become lifelong carriers. Supa, now 35, recalls: 'My parents were shocked. When you're that young, you don't understand chronic illness, and nobody really explained it to me. My mum didn't know she had hepatitis B either. It was only after I was diagnosed that the rest of the family were tested.'
Growing up with a hidden illness
Though his parents tried to hide the seriousness, Supa quickly realised something was up. 'I kept hearing this word "hepatitis" in the house … I also had to go to King's College Hospital twice a year. But I still didn't feel there was anything wrong with me, as I didn't have any symptoms.'
As he grew older and learned more about the condition – that it could lead to liver failure, cancer or cirrhosis – he assumed he had an 'expiry date'. He said: 'I just assumed I wouldn't have the same future as everyone else. I thought I had some sort of expiry date. I felt like I couldn't be around other people – that I was dangerous.'
Misconceptions and stigma followed. He recalled a cousin jumping out of a swimming pool after he had a nosebleed, saying 'I don't want to have what you have'. At school, friends listened but 'nobody really knew what to say'.
Falling through the cracks and finding support
Supa attended hospital every six months for checkups, but during the transition from paediatric to adult services at 15, he fell through the cracks and didn't see a doctor for three years. At university, he avoided drinking, telling people he had a weak liver. When he signed up for a volunteer project in Honduras and needed travel vaccinations, he mentioned to the GP that he hadn't seen a specialist in years. Within a month, the GP set him up with a liver consultant who explained the condition clearly and got him back on regular appointments.
That doctor reassured him that hepatitis B could be managed and that he could even drink alcohol in moderation. 'In another timeline, I might never have gone back. If I'd kept ignoring it, my life could look completely different today. But after that conversation, I started believing that I could actually have a normal life.'
First health scare and starting medication
At age 25, routine monitoring showed his viral load had increased significantly, posing a higher threat to his liver. He had to start lifelong antiviral medication daily. 'Since I was eight, it was just this thing I had. Then suddenly my viral load shot up and it became real,' he remembers, describing it as the 'lowest point'. He went through 'the stages of grief' – acceptance, anger, upset – and eventually realised this was his new normal.
Dating was also challenging. 'When people heard hepatitis B and found out it was also an STI, they didn't even give me the opportunity to explain. You do feel quite tossed aside and rejected.'
Turning to his mother and starting a charity
His mother, who had been on the same medication for years, became his inspiration. 'She's a hairdresser, always chatting to people. Hepatitis B doesn't define her life. I remember thinking, “If my mum can be happy on this medication, then I can be too.”'
Today, Supa takes a tablet daily, has checkups every six months, and lives an active life. In 2020, he met his now-wife, who never judged him and took time to understand the condition. In March 2024, he launched the charity Hep B Companion to support others and spread awareness. The charity runs a WhatsApp support group with around 50 members and a monthly newsletter to nearly 300 people.
'Someone will post that their viral load has come down, and everyone celebrates with them,' he says. 'For me, that's the biggest achievement.'
Reflecting on his journey, he adds: 'Hepatitis B has been my longest toxic friend that's walked alongside me my whole life. Yes, it's not good for my liver – but it's pushed me to do more with my life. I wish I'd never had it. But if I hadn't, I don't think I'd have become the person I am today.'
