York cancer survivor, 22, is poster star of national research campaign (From York Press)

York cancer survivor, 22, is poster star of national research campaign

9:50am Monday 10th September 2012 in News By Richard Catton, richard.catton@thepress.co.uk

A CANCER survivor from York who was diagnosed with a rare form of the disease in his teens has told how he won his battle as he becomes the nationwide poster-star for a leading charity.

Harry Baines, 22, was only 19 when he was diagnosed with paediatric follicular lymphoma, after noticing a lump in his lower jaw.

Now clear of the disease and in his third year of university, Harry will star on posters for a major fundraising push by Cancer Research UK.

Harry, from Fulford , was diagnosed with the disease while in the United States, where he had moved with his family, but he moved back to the UK for 12 sessions of intensive radiotherapy.

He said: “I wasn’t worried initially because I thought it was an abscess so I went to the dentist but he said ‘I have no idea what that is’.

“I was in America at the time and it took two months to get a diagnosis. When I was diagnosed I just got on with it. My philosophy was don’t panic until they give me something to panic about. It was a rare form of cancer and they didn’t know exactly how to treat it.”

Moving back with his family to England, Harry underwent regular radiotherapy at Sheffield’s Western Park Hospital, which eventually saw the cancer shrink. He has now been given the all clear but has check-ups every four months.

On being chosen for the poster campaign, he said: “When I got the call asking if I wanted to take part in a photo-shoot for Cancer Research UK’s new advertising campaign, I jumped at the chance.

“I was diagnosed with cancer when I was 19. It’s such a rare cancer that the doctors said I am the only person in my age group in the UK, that has been diagnosed with it. It was a complete shock. You don’t think that it will ever happen to you. But thanks to research, I am still here. I am so grateful for the treatment that saved my life. Success stories like mine would not be possible without the work of Cancer Research UK. This is my chance to give something back.”

Harry, along with a number of fellow cancer survivors, supporters and staff, appears in the big, multicoloured image of the “C” which will now form part of the charity’s new logo.

To support Cancer Research UK visit cruk.org