Fireman's accident reveals cancer

A fireman has told how he escaped death in a paragliding accident only for a scan to reveal he had terminal cancer.

Steve Phillips was a father-to-be when he fell 40ft (12m) after his paraglider collapsed at the White Horse in Osmington, Dorset, on 31 July.

His then pregnant partner, Becky Taylor, saw the Dorset Fire and Rescue watch manager land on his back. Mr Phillips' daughter was born days later.

A tumour in his stomach was diagnosed as Hodgkin's lymphoma two weeks later.

You initially think that's it, I have been given a death sentence, I am going to die Steve Phillips

The 42-year-old watch manager at Weymouth fire station said he went to hospital for X-rays, which came back clear but "there must have been something [in the X-rays] they didn't like, some sort of shadow".

Following the scan, doctors broke the news to Mr Phillips, from Broadwey in Weymouth, that he had terminal lymphatic cancer throughout his body.

He has been told there is no cure and has between five and eight years to live.

"It is absolutely horrendous," he said.

"You initially think that's it, I have been given a death sentence, I am going to die."

Mr Phillips took part in a free Macmillan Cancer Care six-week course, Living with cancer, to help him cope.

Clinical trial

"At the moment I am not showing any typical symptoms of the disease.

"I'm fit. I still go running, do weights and work.

"I needed to go back to work, I needed the camaraderie of the guys on the watch.

"The biggest difficulty is psychological."

Mr Phillips, who is undergoing a two-year clinical trial at Southampton General Hospital, said he had always wanted children - one of the issues which led to his divorce two years ago.

He met Becky soon afterwards and they had their daughter, Isabella.

Mr Phillips plans to train in Bath so that he can tutor a Macmillan Cancer Care course to help others cope with a terminal illness starting in Dorchester next month.

He added: "To think I won't see her on her 18th or 21st is really a mind blowing thing."