A determined dad who battled testicular cancer has completed a tough challenge to cycle over 10km every day to raise £12,000 for the hospital team who saved his life

ScotRail communications director David Ross underwent surgery and months of gruelling chemotherapy after being diagnosed with the condition in May last year.

He bravely shared his story with the Glasgow Times to raise awareness and encourage other men to check themselves regularly.

David, 35, from Stepps in North Lanarkshire, said: “My challenge developed a bit as I went on. It started off at 10km and ended up with the distance corresponding to the day of the month. So on day 20 I cycled 20km, all the way up to 31km on the last day of August.

“I think it’s fair to say that my legs are ready for a well-earned rest now. I’ve been blown away by the amount of support I’ve received.

"I am definitely relieved the challenge is over, but it has all been worth it to raise more than £10,000 to support the work of the Beatson.

"I’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of family, friends, colleagues, and even total strangers who gave me so much support.

"Changing the challenge halfway through to make it more difficult wasn’t part of the original plan, but I am really pleased to have kept going all the way to 31km on day 31."

After noticing a lump, David went to his GP and was referred for tests. Within three weeks the results were back, and he was devastated to find out it was cancer.

He said: “Initially, my consultant hoped surgery to remove my right testicle would be enough and I would only need one round of chemotherapy.

“However, I ended up going through three cycles, which were pretty tough.

"I had a bad reaction to the first few chemo sessions and ended up spending a lot of time in hospital. Thankfully they were able to tailor my treatment and I was able to get through the later stages without many complications.”

He praised the doctors, nurses and support staff at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow for helping him through the traumatic experience.

Glasgow Times: David Ross David Ross

 

David previously worked as Kezia Dugdale's official spokesman when the then-Scottish Labour leader was a key member of the cross-party Better Together campaign team.

He explains: “The staff at the Beatson are just wonderful and I cannot thank them enough for saving my life.

"My consultant Mr Jeff White went above and beyond and it’s down to his incredible skills and expertise that I’m still here.”

David, who is married to Paula, 35, and is dad to four-year-old Emily and Sophie, two, wanted to give something back to the leading cancer hospital after being given the all-clear.

He decided to get on his bike and cycle over 10km every day throughout August to help fund more research and treatment for testicular cancer.

He added: "I realise how incredibly lucky I am and there are people out there who go through far worse.

“I’ve always been pretty fit and active and thought it would be good idea to push myself to the limit by cycling on my exercise bike at home every day throughout August.

“As the days rolled on, I decided to peddle even further and ended up doing more miles than expected. I’m completely overwhelmed by the donations and delighted to have raised £12,000 for such an important cause.

“This is my way of giving something back to all the fantastic staff who saved my life.”

David still attends the hospital every few months for regular check-ups and hopes sharing his story will inspire others to check themselves daily.

More than 88% of men who are diagnosed with testicular cancer will survive if the condition is caught early enough. 

Around 2400 men are diagnosed every year and it is now the most common form of cancer in men aged 15 to 49.

David added: “Early detection is key and if you think something isn’t right, go and get it checked out.”