"Now I want my revenge... My ultimate dream would be to help find a cure."

Those are the words of a brave university student plotting to get his own back on the disease that nearly killed him.

Lewis Paget from Marchwood is halfway through a degree in microbiology at the University of Reading and is on a mission to wage war on cancer after it left him fighting for his life as a teenager.

The 21-year-old, who is backing Cancer Research UK’s campaign for World Cancer Day, is urging the people of Hampshire to donate and help get life-saving research back on track following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lewis has only just turned 17-years-old when he first fell ill after he noticed a rash on his face that soon spread to his neck and back. He was also suffering with flu-like symptoms.

Within a week he was in hospital where, following a series of tests, doctors broke the news to Lewis and his parents that he had leukaemia.

Lewis said: “My first thought was ‘what about college?’ because I just love to study and learn. I had just finished my AS year and had a plan to complete my A-levels and go to University.

“But things got underway very fast and within a week I was a resident on the teenage cancer ward in Southampton and I had started chemotherapy.”

Although his first round of chemo cause little problems, Lewis contacted sepsis and spent three weeks fighting for his life in an induced coma.

“I am so lucky to be here now,” said Lewis, who had to learn to walk again with the help of physiotherapists at University Hospital Southampton.

After several weeks in hospital he was allowed back home to continue his recovery before returning for his second round of chemotherapy.

Remarkably, biopsies showed the treatment had worked and he was in remission within three months of being diagnosed.

The teenager then underwent radiotherapy before having a bone marrow transplant, to replace his damaged blood cells with healthy ones.

Lewis, who is currently studying from home where he lives with his mum Carol and brothers Rhys and Ewan, missed 18 months of studies but managed to catch up and complete his A-levels. He is now studying microbiology at the University of Reading.

He said: “I feel like I’ve cheated death and I have defied everything. My biggest strength is people telling me I can’t do something because I will go out of my way to prove them wrong.

“Now I want my revenge. Cancer has had its fun with me – now it’s my turn to get my own back. I want to work in cancer research, specifically in leukaemia research, to help people like me in the future. The ultimate dream would be to help find a cure.”

Lewis added: “Supporting Cancer Research UK on World Cancer Day and helping to raise vital awareness and funds, is really important to me. It’s because of improvements in treatment that I’m still here today.

“It’s upsetting to think about research being slowed down and what this might mean for people like me in the months and years to come.

Donate or get a Unity Band online at cruk.org/worldcancerday.