A father-of-two was left “2mm from paralysis” after his neck was broken and he ignored warning signs of a rare blood cancer, dismissing them as signs of ageing.
Simon Cummings, 53, first noticed a “loss of strength” in his right arm but suspected he had a pinched nerve in his shoulder. In early 2020, the father began to develop a yellowing of his eyes and skin.
“I thought something was definitely not right,” the IT specialist said, “but I chalked it up to just moving on in life.”
But as Cummings was chopping wood, “a piece of wood broke off” and hit him square in the face. In reaction, he threw his head back and heard a loud crack in his neck.
“I didn’t think much of it,” he said. “Until a few hours later I found myself crying in pain on the floor.”
Simon Cummings, 53, first noticed a “loss of strength” in his right arm but suspected he had a trapped nerve in his shoulder. Then, in early 2020, he developed a yellowing of his eyes and skin.
While chopping wood, a piece of wood flew towards Simon’s face, causing him to snap his head back in reaction. That’s when he heard a loud crack.
Recalling the pain he felt, Cummings said: “If I hadn’t gone to the hospital when I did, I would have been completely paralysed at the very least. Or worse, I might not have gotten to this point.”
Mr Cummings was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery, where doctors worked to stabilise his broken neck.
Doctors later broke the news to Mr Cummings and his wife Lisa, 47, that he was just “2mm” away from being paralysed.
He said: “At the time I couldn’t really grasp the gravity of this.”
Doctors were unsure of the cause of the various symptoms he was experiencing or the fractured neck. Cummings says the symptoms persisted for nine months before he was officially diagnosed.
He said: ‘All I knew was that my neck was broken, which was very scary, but because I didn’t feel like my neck was broken, I guess I didn’t think too much about ‘what if’.
‘It’s when you start discussing it with your loved ones that you start thinking about those things.
‘I started to worry about not being able to support my family, spend time with Lisa, play with our son and our plans to have a sibling for him.’
Simon was rushed to hospital to undergo emergency surgery to stabilise his broken neck.
Doctors told Simon he was “just 2mm” away from being paralyzed.
Doctors did not know the cause of Simon’s various symptoms or his broken neck.
While waiting for an official diagnosis, Simon worried about whether he would be able to support his son (pictured together) and his family.
Simon and his wife had plans to have another child and give their son (pictured) a younger brother.
In September 2020, Mr Cummings was finally told he had myeloma, an incurable form of blood cancer that develops in the bone marrow.
Mr Cummings would need to undergo intensive chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant to survive.
In a whirlwind of health, Mr Cummings was declared cancer-free in April 2021. He began looking ahead to the future with his family, including sons Charlie, five, and Leo, one.
She said: “I just want to see my children grow up and make sure that everything we’ve worked for over the last 30 years isn’t ruined by cancer. I want to enjoy our children together.”
But the cancer returned in May 2024 and the father of two is undergoing chemotherapy again, although he has just been told he is in remission.
Since myeloma is incurable, you will inevitably experience relapses throughout the rest of your life.
Mr Cummings hopes to share his story to raise awareness as the symptoms of myeloma often go unnoticed.
He said: ‘Anything that can prevent someone else from going through this, like I did, would be a huge improvement.
‘Always check your symptoms if you are worried and trust your instinct.
‘Identifying it early could help reduce the impact of myeloma before it’s too late.’
‘There are people out there working to keep me alive and counting on that defense of… Myeloma in the UK It’s invaluable. It reassures me.
Simon was diagnosed with myeloma in September 2020, an incurable form of blood cancer.
With his wife Lisa and two children by his side, Simon underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in order to survive.
After being declared cancer-free in April 2021, Simon was told the cancer had returned in May 2024. The father of two will likely face relapses for the rest of his life.
Simon poses with his family. He hopes to share his story and raise awareness about blood cancer.
Simon advises: ‘Always check your symptoms if you’re worried and trust your gut’
Brave father wants people to know that myeloma diagnosis is “not the solution.”
He said: ‘There’s a chance it could kill you, but you have to get over the initial shock of the Big C.
‘Every cancer is different and you never hear about the good things or the things that can get better.’
Mr Cummings added: “It was tough, but you can get through it – don’t let it ruin your plans, control your decisions or affect your future.”