Sailor, who was diagnosed with blood cancer at 19, reveals the two symptoms he dismissed

A sailor who hiked and kayaked while undergoing cancer treatment celebrated his all-clear by taking his last chemo pill on Ben Nevis.

Ciaran Daniel, 23, from Hull, was just 19 when he was told he had acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an aggressive form of cancer that affects white blood cells.

Ciaran worked for the Royal Navy in the Persian Gulf and was flown back to the UK on a private jet, where he underwent three years of treatment.

And since getting the all clear in May this year, Ciaran has been celebrating by taking his last chemo pill on Ben Nevis.

He said: “Even while I was having intravenous chemo, I was still out and about doing active things that you probably shouldn’t be doing with this type of treatment, but I couldn’t stay still.

“I’ve been rock climbing, kayaking, surfing and hiking. It has kept me engaged and optimistic during this difficult time.”

He added: “When I summited Ben Nevis in May, I got a reminder on my phone to take my medication and that’s when I realized I was down to one chemopill.

“It was the perfect place to finish my treatment.”

At 19, Ciaran initially brushed off the symptoms he was having.

He said: “I have worked for the Royal Navy in the Persian Gulf running anti-piracy and anti-narcotics operations.

“It was a physically demanding job and when I realized I had a lot of bruises I just assumed it was the nature of my role.

“I was also very tired, but that was easily explained by how tiring my job was.”

It wasn’t until Ciaran noticed blood in his urine that he sought medical advice.

He said: “I was taken to a private hospital in Dubai where blood tests were carried out.

“When the results came back they didn’t know how I even managed to enter the building, my blood counts were so low.

“In retrospect, I think it was the fact that I was very healthy and physically fit that kept me going.”

Ciaran had a bone marrow biopsy that revealed his devastating diagnosis.

He said: “They broke the news to me on New Year’s Eve 2018 that I had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

“Because of the medication I had for the biopsy, I was quite upset when I called my family and told them I had leprosy. My doctor took the phone from me and had to break the news to them.”

He added: “I remember seeing the Burj Khalifa lit up for the New Year from my hospital room and thinking that it wasn’t the day I had planned.

“When you’re 19 you think you’re invincible, so finding out I had cancer was totally shocking.”

On January 4, 2019, Ciaran was flown by private jet from Dubai to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where he was received by his family.

He then spent seven weeks in the hospital undergoing intensive chemotherapy.

Ciaran said: “My parents lived on the hospital grounds at Fisher House so I could see them on a daily basis.

“I had intravenous chemotherapy via pills and injections in the spine. It was intense and in the beginning it wiped me out. I just slept all the time.”

After seven weeks, Ciaran moved into accommodation at the Fisher House and visited the hospital daily for treatment.

He said: “I stayed there until October 2019 when I was finally able to return to Hull and return to monthly appointments while continuing the chemo through pills at home.”

Ciaran’s chemotherapy ended in May this year after he was given the all-clear about his cancer.

He said: “A friend and I had planned to go to Scotland for the weekend to do a bit of hiking. We took all our hiking gear with us even though we didn’t plan to do anything strenuous.

“But we got to the bottom of Ben Nevis and looked at each other and said, ‘Why not?'”

Ciaran and his friend hiked the 1,345m mountain in the Scottish Highlands and when he reached the summit, Ciaran heard his phone ring.

He said: “It was a reminder to take my medication. I only had one chemo pill left and figured the top of Ben Nevis was as good a place to finish my treatment as any.

“My friend filmed me taking my last pill, which marked the end of my three-year journey with cancer.”

Since then, Ciaran’s scans have been clear and now he’s bringing attention to Teenage Cancer Trust.

He said: “The Teenage Cancer Trust department was spot on and the staff helped save my life.

“They have also been a great support to me and helped me through things that I didn’t want to bother my family with.

“Teenage Cancer Trust is an amazing charity that has helped me so much and I want to raise awareness of their work.”

For more information, visit: www.teenagecancertrust.org/donate