More than £7,500 raised for 25-year-old for Bognor Regis soldier with leukaemia

Jacob’s 25th birthday was special: he got to go home. Diagnosed with leukaemia last July, he’d spent the last few months in a hospital bed, and relished the chance to spend some time somewhere else, with his family and loved ones close by. It had been a tough, life-changing year but the Bognor born soldier – who serves with the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment – never stopped looking for the bright side.

"It was definitely a massive a shock.” he said. “ Even when I came out of hospital for a bit, my immune system was so weak that I couldn’t really do anything, which was tough. But I did actually get married last year; that was amazing. We got married in the hospital because we couldn’t do it anywhere else, so there have been really good moments too.”

"My wife and her family have been absolutely incredible,” he continued. “Chloë has been there for me every step of the way – she actually lives with me in hospital at the moment – and her mum brings us cakes and does our washing and sorts whatever bits and bobs we might need. I’ve had great support from the army, too. It’s nice to know they’ve all got your back, wishing you well.”

A successful bone marrow transplant sent the cancer into remission last year, but, when it returned and doctors said chemotherapy might not work, Jacob and his wife launched an online fundraiser, hoping to fund complementary therapies designed to keep Jacob’s leukaemia at bay and improve high quality of life. It will also go towards memory-making experiences for Jacob and Chloe themselves; little escapes from the daily turmoil of treatment.

After raising more than £7,500 in just a few weeks, the fundraiser has itself become a source of joy for the couple, who never dared imagine it would do as well as it has.

"If I’m honest, when we first launched the fundraiser, I didn’t even think it was going to get £80,” Jacob said. “But in the first day it raised £5,000. It was great to know that we had that support out there, to know there were so many people out there who wanted to help.”