Pomeroy man’s triumph over testicular cancer

Steven Gilkinson’s journey through testicular cancer has been marked by both challenges and triumphs.

The 37-year-old Pomeroy man’s journey through this formidable challenge is not just a tale of overcoming adversity but also a story of resilience, unexpected joy, and a commitment to giving back to the community.

Speaking this week, Steven recalls the ‘shock’ he endured following his diagnosis, which was followed by great joy as he and his wife Niki are now expecting their third child.

A father-of-two, Steven had experienced none of the typical symptoms associated with testicular cancer last year. However, a subtle change in one testicle prompted him to seek medical advice. Despite no serious pain initially, a constant dull ache on the left side in August raised concern. A visit to the doctor and subsequent scans led to a swift diagnosis that left Steven and Niki, in a state of shock.

“There was no serious pain to begin with, so I tried to just forget about it and didn’t think anything of it, really,” Steven said.

“It was around August time, however, when I started feeling a constant dull ache on the left side.

“I went to the doctor and was referred for a scan and the next day they called me back saying they needed to see me quickly to discuss what they had found.”

Upon finding out the news of his diagnosis, Steven said he vividly remembers the drive home with wife Niki.

At the time, the happily married couple had been trying for their third baby; following great success having gone through IVF treatment when they had their first son Jude, and later their daughter Eva.

“I remember saying to Niki that we were going to have to put things on hold as I feared I might have had to go through chemotherapy,” he recalled.

Having received his diagnosis on a Wednesday, Steven and Niki found out the following Saturday that they were expecting their third child.

“Having had our first child through IVF, the second and third were definitely a real surprise,” the Pomeroy man said.

“With so much going on at once, I decided to go private to receive the necessary treatment, and having been diagnosed on a Wednesday, I had an operation the following Tuesday.”

Steven remarked that he can’t fault the NHS because, despite being told that the waiting list could have taken up to six weeks, he received a call on the day of his operation informing him that they could have seen him the following Friday.

“I had my operation in the Belfast Independent Clinic and they managed to remove the testicle,” he explained.

“Following the operation, I was relieved to learn that the cancer had been contained, so it didn’t spread…

“I am now receiving check-ups every three months; they will keep an eye on things over the next five years.”

Charity work

Following his recovery, Mr Gilkinson has since raised thousands of pounds for charity.

He explains, “I do CrossFit to keep fit but that had been put on hold for three months. When I returned I was told the coach what was going on and he was adamant that we could raise money for charity, so we took part in ‘Movember’ and organised a table quiz for Charis Cancer Care.

“I wanted to do something to raise money, not only following my own recovery, but because my mother-in-law has also been dealing with cancer over the past few years.”

All told, Steven raised roughly £1,600 for ‘Movember’ – an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate and testicular cancer as well as men’s suicide – and £2,340 for Charis Cancer Care following the successful table quiz.

“I had also organised a few collection buckets at work and my colleagues also kindly donated to Charis,” he explained.

This wasn’t Steven’s first charitable donation, however.

On two previous occasions in 2016 and 2021, the cancer survivor donated his bone marrow to give another man a second chance at life.

“It was the same guy as far as I’m aware. It was a reasonable procedure and I would advise anyone to register to donate through the Anthony Nolan charity.”

Having overcome his cancer diagnosis with great triumph, Mr Gilkinson said that he had great support from a family member who was also diagnosed with testicular cancer 23 years ago. “He was the first person I made contact with following the diagnosis.

“It was intense for him and he had to go through a lot of chemotherapy, but he overcame it.”

Thinking back on the whole experience Mr Gilkinson concluded that, “The whole thing was a real shock and it floored me mentally. Although I am over the worst of it now and I’m doing fine, I am definitely still somewhat coming to terms with it all.”