‘Fit & healthy’ promising footballer, 17, died suddenly shortly after running half marathon – leaving parents devastated
HEARTBROKEN parents have told of their grief following the sudden death of their son after running a half marathon aged just 17.
Promising footballer Ben Saunders started to suffer from chest pains and was tired all the time after completing the Bath run.
That was in March 2019 - and months later parents Tom and Joanne Saunders were hugging their son for the last time.
They have now opened up about their shock when fit and healthy Ben was diagnosed with Synovial sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Speaking to the Sun, Joanne said: "I wish he'd had a scan earlier, I think maybe if he had an MRI scan it would have been picked up."
However, she and Tom explained how even if the tumour had been detected earlier, it would have been a "miracle" for Ben to recover.
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"With Synovial sarcoma, sometimes you see people have part of their arm removed, or they have a limb removed. And that's basically cutting the sarcoma away," Joanne continued.
"The problem Ben had and why it was so rare. It was attached to his heart."
DEVASTATING DIAGNOSIS
They went to the GP and the young lad was given painkillers after being told he had chest inflammation.
But after several trips to the hospital with severe chest pain, there was still no diagnosis, with ECGs and tests coming back normal.
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The family kept pushing for answers after Ben had to be rushed to A&E with fluid around his heart, a condition called pericarditis.
They returned two weeks later as the fluid returned and were referred for a scan.
Synovial sarcoma
Synovial sarcoma (synovial cell sarcoma) is a rare type of cancer that affects soft tissues, like your muscles or ligaments.
It’s called synovial sarcoma because these cancer cells resemble the cells in your synovial joints (like your elbows, hips and shoulders).
Synovial sarcoma grows very slowly and may not cause pain.
Tumors can grow undetected for up to two years.
A lot of the time, those affected won’t have symptoms until the tumor grows large enough to create a lump you can see and/or feel.
Some people develop pain or numbness, especially if the tumor presses on nerves as it grows.
This type of cancer usually forms in joints like ankles, elbows, hips, shoulders and wrists.
In very rare circumstances, such as Ben's, it can form in your chest, head or neck.
Once symptoms occur, they may include:
- A lump you can see and feel - the lump might be painless
- Numbness
- Pain
- Swelling
In the case of a synovial sarcoma in the heart, symptoms can include:
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Pericardial effusion
- Weight loss
- Nausea after eating
Doctors thought they picked up a blood clot or cyst around Ben's heart and it would need to be removed with surgery.
A cardiologist told the family Ben would be back to playing sports by January, four months after the operation.
But it wasn't until Ben was in surgery that the tumour on his heart was discovered.
Altogether it took around seven months for Ben's diagnosis since the first GP appointment.
However the family hold no animosity towards doctors or staff, Tom said: "We're not looking to blame anybody. It's incredibly rare."
Despite their grief, the resilient parents wanted to focus on two main points - Ben's foundation and awareness of his condition.
Tom said: "Ben didn't smoke. He didn't drink. He plays semi-professional football to a high standard at 16, representing his county.
"Very handsome, he had the six pack he had everything, whereas, if you're like me, you think people get cancer because they smoke because they're overweight because they've not had a good lifestyle.
"He was about as far removed from that as you could possibly get."
Joanne agreed: "Yeah, he ate really healthily. Didn't do drugs."
Tom replied: "He was still dreaming about being a professional footballer."
'PLUNGED UNTO AN UNKNOWN WORLD'
Joanne recalled the moment they were told their son had the rare and aggressive form of cancer.
"We were called in to be told while Ben was still in theatre. It's just devastating," she said.
"You just feel like you've been plunged into an unknown world."
The mum-of-two, who has also lost both of her parents to cancer, continued: "It's not the order of life. It's it's the most horrific thing that can happen to anybody.
"Bar nothing. There is nothing can be worse than than losing a child."
The teenager was in intensive care following surgery, so Joanna delayed telling him until he could process the news.
Even four years down the line we're still paying for Ben's mobile phone
Tom Saunders
Ben remained in ICU for eight days before being transferred to the teenage cancer unit, where he stayed for about two weeks.
He would be able to return home for around 10 days, before going back to hospital for a gruelling two weeks of chemotherapy.
Joanne heartbreakingly revealed the teenager had been scared to die.
"I knew that Ben was very frightened, and I said to him I would go with him if he was really frightened," she said.
"He got really really cross with me and said 'Mum you have a choice, I don't. You have to stay for Charlie and dad'".
The family were also hit by unexpected financial strain after Ben was diagnosed.
Joanne said: "You've suddenly got all these extra costs as well like parking charges.
"And you know there's nowhere for you to eat at the hospital. So you end up buying sandwiches and things like that."
Tom added: "I'm employed. So my employer was really good. Joanne was self employed and the financial impact it has on you things that you just wouldn't even dream that you've got to do like phone your mortgage provider and ask them, can you have a six month mortgage break?
COPING WITH GRIEF
The couple also spoke about what it's life to cope with grief alongside your partner.
Tom described it as going "through hell and back" as everyone deals with the heartbreaking process differently.
Joanne continued: "It can be little things like Thomas would watch television and have the television on quite loud.
"And I seem to become really sensitive to noise.
"So just living in the same house when you're both grieving so differently, is hard and for Charlie as well.
"Charlie said not that long ago to me 'you and dad had each other. I was on my own'.
"And I, said, Charlie, 'Dad and I didn't have each other because
we were all grieving in our own way'."
Joanne also told how her son Charlie was the one who motivated her to get back to work.
Tom added: "And even four years down the line we're still paying for Ben's mobile phone.
"You go into his bedroom, and the bed's still there, and all of his sweets are still in his cupboard, and obviously they get replaced and
put new ones in there.
"The wallpaper is the same, and you're just praying that you're in a bad dream, and you hope one day you're gonna wake up from it.
"But the foundation is what we want to let people know about and
and to to grow it."
BEN SAUNDERS FOUNDATION
The beacon of hope, which has helped over 370 families in just over three years, was started by Ben before he died.
When asked what Ben would say if he could see the work his foundation has done, his parents said he would be telling them to hit one million pounds in donations.
"Because he always told me he was going to be a millionaire," said Tom.
Tom and Joanne now work alongside running the charity - which they do as volunteers.
The idea was sparked after another charity called the Reese Forley Foundation, in Norfolk, paid for Ben and his friends to go away to Center Parc, about a month before he died.
"We were struggling but for the two or three weeks after that trip, it was all Ben could talk about.
"He wanted that and designed his logo, he had all these ideas."
Tom and Joanne raise thousands of pounds for each family to get away through Ben's foundation.
They manage to maintain two lodges in the Cotswolds through donations and fund raisers.
Families are also given vouchers and money to spend while on their holiday.
And, the lodges are designed to make guests in treatment as comfortable as possible, with TVs, hot water bottles, fans, and homey decoration.
But, the foundation also helps people in other ways.
Tom recalled: "Last year there was a young lad who's only 18 years old. He was estranged from his parents.
"He got cancer. He had nowhere to live.
"He's waiting for his personal, independent payment to come through from the government.
"So we paid for his his rent for three months, and we paid for all of his travelling to go up and back to the hospital."
Tom added: "If Ben hadn't come up with this idea, I don't think one of us would be here now. It gave us a reason to carry on."
Joanne said: "What I still find difficult to cope with it that he was so so poorly when he was doing all of this. He knew what was happening so when he should have been resting he was just saying to me 'get a notepad, write this down, what colours do you think we should do the logos'.
"He was organising fundraisers, he organised a head shave and a zumba event, there were hundreds of people there. It was incredible."
Meanwhile Tom referred to the charity as his "obsession" after it became officially registered just two months after Ben's passing.
The relentless couple continue to draw in donations from businesses and members of the pubic.
They've even seen a whopping £50,000 gifted from the National Lottery.
Another way they raise money is a 200 club, with a monthly draw, this almost covers the cost of one lodge for a year.
An annual ball in Ben's name also rakes in thousands of pounds for the cause.
Meanwhile, over 60 football grounds now hang Ben's banners on the sides of their pitches to raise awareness.
"The main driver for us is that Ben is never forgotten," said Tom.
But the couple started from scratch, scouring charity shops for lodge decoration and having no money left over for things such as pitch fees.
"It was quite stressful, not knowing how we were going to keep that going, it weighed quite heavy at first," said Joanne.
SUPPORT IN SPORT
The self-professed "football fanatic" family have been supported by former English footballer Kevin Keegan, who phoned them up at their home.
Brian Robson, Trent Alexander Arnold, and Roberta Cars all sent videos messages to Ben before he passed.
"There was Ashley Williams, who was Captain of Wales at the time, was in Azerbaijan, playing football, and he was phoning Ben up and having conversations with him at like 2am," Tom recalled.
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"So the whole sporting world, the way they've got behind Ben."
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