A young cancer blogger who shared his experience of his battle with the disease to raise awareness has died, aged 22.
North Londoner Jack Morgan was 20 when he was diagnosed with undifferentiated carcinoma of the eye. He received the all-clear last year but the cancer returned.
In 2018, Mr Morgan featured in Chai Cancer Care’s appeal video for its fundraising dinner, explaining how the charity's support had helped him.
“What was scary was going into the unknown,” he said. “It just didn’t feel real, like it wasn’t happening to me. The hardest parts for me were the treatment, the chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the nausea, lack of energy.”
Having shared a large part of his journey online, he realised there was a community of people with the illness who also wanted to share their experiences. He set up an app dedicated to cancer patients, Cnected, hoping it would provide them a place to connect with others like them.
After his cancer returned, he continued to document his treatment to his 25,000 followers on Instagram.
Supporters of the engineering mathematics graduate from Bristol University included Manchester United star Paul Pogba, who visited Mr Morgan in hospital four months ago. In June, Craig David recorded a video message of support.
Mr Morgan's last post was a week ago in which he said he was glad to be home having left the hospice/hospital environment.
“I now have a syringe driver [medicine that is pumped into my arm] which requires a nurse to come round daily to change it. I also now have carers that come in the morning to wash me and help with some basic tasks. For example, this morning I got up and walked around the room with them. Simple tasks like that, possibly things that we all take for granted, I now find difficult. It’s scary to experience how quickly life can change.
“There is a common mantra, 'use it or lose it'. This resonates with me now, more so than ever.”
He told his followers that he “struggled to walk literally five metres because all the muscles in my back have deteriorated. I have lost protection and support, causing excruciating pain.
“It’s much easier said than done. However, it’s now my responsibility to eat, drink and walk, in order to maintain my strength, health and general well-being.
“I haven’t come this far to only come this far.”
