I looked like Freddy Krueger after bowel cancer spread through my body – here was the first warning sign

A DAD who “looked like Freddy Krueger” after a horrific reaction to chemotherapy first realized something was wrong when he found blood in his stool.

Shortly after his symptoms began, the previously fit Geoffrey Seymour was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer.

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The 41-year-old underwent chemotherapy but responded poorly and his face morphed into the “Nightmare on Elm Street,” he says.

He was too embarrassed to go to his son’s cricket matches and desperately sought alternative treatment.

Geoffrey’s ordeal began in April 2021, just two weeks before his birthday, when he started receiving the first warning signs.

Noticing blood in his stool, he remembered it was a sign of cancer from the television commercial, so he quickly consulted his GP.

Weeks later, Geoffrey, who lives in Richmond, south-west London, with his wife Santa, 44, and their son Marco, 10, was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, which had spread from his colon to his liver.

He said: “I’ve always taken care of myself, so getting the diagnosis was huge.”

Geoffrey started chemotherapy but had a bad reaction because it killed his rapidly growing cells that were blistering the skin on his face.

The procurement specialist described the situation as serious and seemingly hopeless as being “wrapped in a burning paper bag.”

According to the father, it made him look like Krueger from the 1984 film.

Geoffrey then had to retire from the family activities he used to enjoy, such as tennis, basketball and cricket. He also stopped going to Marco’s athletic competitions.

He said, “If I wasn’t going there with a bag on my head, other people would come up to me and look at me and be like, ‘What’s wrong with this guy?’ when I’m pretty happy to blend in with the crowd.

“[But] Not having the energy to do what I want to do is the biggest real hit.

“I’m just not used to doing nothing – I’m not used to being the guy who has to go and relax or even take a nap.

“I want my son to feel like he’s a little boy and be naughty and naughty and do the things he loves to do without having to worry about me.”

Geoffrey’s treatment then stopped working, so in an attempt to save his life he traveled to Germany for dendritic cell therapy – where a personalized vaccine is being made in a laboratory with the aim of stimulating the immune system.

‘VERY EMOTIONAL’

Research in this area is still in its early stages, according to Cancer Research UK, so it hasn’t come cheap.

Just one injection on October 17 cost £17,000 and Geoffrey is now waiting to see if it was enough to help him while he continues to raise funds to pay for it.

He said, “I couldn’t even wait until the end of the fundraiser to finish it just because I was so worried the disease would spread.”

Luckily, his 10-year-old wife, Santa, a senior lab technician, was incredibly supportive throughout the process.

Her GoFundMe appeal has raised nearly £27,000 so far.

Geoffrey said: “It’s really very emotional.

“I don’t feel alone, and I feel like there’s an army that really has my back and is ready to support me in some way if I fall.”

Since undergoing dendritic cell therapy, Geoffrey said he still feels tired and is living with “a lot of pain” but understands it’s not a “magic bullet” that will fix things overnight.

Depending on the results, he may have to pay for another vaccination and treatment abroad.

“I obviously want to sort myself out and get my issues sorted out and not wait for the NHS because I feel like it’s like a ticking time bomb and there’s no time to really wait,” he added.

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