Ebbw Vale teen Rhys Langford fundraising for Jacob Jones

Rhys Langford, 19 from Ebbw Vale, has spent the past 16 months battling osteosarcoma - a type of cancer which starts in the bones - but has since been told that he only has months to live.

He has now turned his attention to helping another little boy who is battling cancer for the second time.

So far, Rhys’ fundraising page has raised almost £4,500 in just two days for Jacob Jones, the six-year-old from Ebbw Vale who, like Rhys, fought cancer and beat it before it returned.

Rhys' mum Catherine said: “Rhys is bedridden now and he called me and asked me if I’d heard about Jacob, this little boy who was battling cancer again.

“I said I had done, and he said about how sad it was and asked if he could donate money for him to go back to America for more treatment.

Rhys leaving Velindre after beating cancer

Celebrations after Rhys beat cancer in August

“He privately sent him £1,000 from his savings but wanted to do more so asked about setting up a GoFundMe. He said ‘There’s nothing more they can do for me so if I can help save this little boy'.

“Our hearts are breaking because we are losing our son but bursting with pride because considering his diagnosis he is thinking of other people.”

So far, Rhys’ fundraising page has raised almost £4,500 in just two days.

“Rhys was very fit before his diagnosis,” said Mrs Langford. “He did martial arts including Muay Thai and Krav Maga. He was 12 stone and now he’s eight stone something.”

Rhys before his cancer diagnosis

Rhys before his diagnosis

Rhys first became ill in 2020 after a fall while out having a race with friends. He had a pain in his hip for about six weeks.

“It got so bad that when he was in work one day, he ended up going to the local hospital.," said Mrs Langford. "He had an X-ray and they thought it was a haematoma from the fall and it hadn’t dispersed back into his body.”

In October that year, about two weeks after the X-ray the family were called to Ystrad Mynach Hospital where they were told he had osteosarcoma. Rhys was then sent to Birmingham Royal Hospital and doctors there confirmed it and that the cancer was in his hip bone and his femur.

On December 1, 2020, Rhys began chemotherapy under Velindre and was staying at Teenage Cancer Trust ward.

“It was 10 weeks of intense chemotherapy,” said Mrs Langford. “He would go in on the Monday and have five days of chemotherapy and come home on the Friday for the weekend and then back in on the Monday for four days. It was like that for 10 weeks.

Rhys during his treatment

Rhys during his treatment

“On the breaks between, you could guarantee that he would be back in hospital with an infection.”

Last April, Rhys had limb salvage surgery in Birmingham where they removed his hip bone, femur and pelvis and part of his gluteus maximus muscle. They said he would walk with two crutches for the rest of his life.

“The operation went brilliantly,” said Mrs Langford. “No tumour was left.”

MORE NEWS:

•  Argus readers share their memories of Westgate Hotel as work progresses
• Man caught on video kicking a cat in Newport - RSPCA appeal for information

After a further 20 weeks of intense chemotherapy and immunotherapy to reduce the chances of the cancer returning, in August 2021 Rhys rang the bell at Velindre to signal that he had beaten cancer.

However, it wasn’t to last, and in December he was told his cancer had returned.

Rhys ringing the bell after beating cancer in August

Rhys ringing the bell after beating cancer

“Everything just turned,” said Mrs Langford.

“We expected one thing and they told us the cancer has come back, which we knew, but that not only was it in his thigh, it was in his pelvic bone and groin, bum, bottom of his back and both lungs and in his lymph nodes.

"That’s when they told us there was nothing more they could do and it could be as much as six months or as little as three months.”

Rhys, mum Catherine, dad Paul and little brother Charlie before his diagnosis

Rhys before his cancer diagnosis with mum Catherine, dad Paul and little brother Charlie

On the fundraising, Mrs Langford said: “We have had a lot of people getting in touch because people are touched and humbled at what Rhys is doing and his story as well. We are so proud of him.”

Currently Rhys and his family – Mrs Langford, dad Paul and nine-year-old brother Charlie – are making as many memories as they can while they still can.

You can donate to Rhys’ fundraiser for Jacob here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rhyss-dying-wish-to-help-jacob-fight-again