MAN ON A MISSION
Who is Iain Ward aka The King of Chemo? Fitness content creator and winner of TikTok’s Voice for Change Award
Including how to donate
TIKTOK's Voice for Change Award 2024 goes to a man who's certainly on a mission.
The King of Chemo swoops the TikTok Award wearing a smile and his signature crown against all odds.
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The King of Chemo
also known as The King of Chemo is a fitness content creator and winner of TikTok's 2024 Voice for Change Award.
The influencer earned the nickname 'The King of Chemo' after he was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2019, at the age of 31.
Given just three years to live, Iain has made it his mission to break a world record by raising as much money as he can for cancer research.
On TikTok Iain boasts 5.4million followers (as of December 2024).
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Recalling the day he went viral he told SoulKind: "It was incredible.
"TikTok has a limit of showing you 300,000 new followers or something like that.
"People were following me at such a rate, it couldn't give me a precise number."
With a following of over 11 million fans across his social media platforms, (as of December 2024) bolstered by an outpouring of support from his online community, Iain has chosen to try to beat the £2.3million ($3million) charity world record.
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Defying the odds
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At the start of the year, Iain took on the challenge of joining the Great World Race of 2024 by signing up to complete seven marathons in seven continents in just seven days.
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On November 21, he completed just that.
Iain set off from Wolf’s Fang, Antarctica, on November 14 and concluded his marathon on November 20 in Miami.
TikTok Award
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On December 3, 2024 Iain won TikTok's 2024 Voice for Change Award for all his accomplishments.
Upon winning his award he said: "In a room of serious influence and impact, I'm defying the stereotype of terminal brain cancer.
"I'm determined to make a difference and break that fundraising record.
"The amount of power you have in your hands right now is significant; all it takes is the click of a button to change lives."
Symptoms of Brain Cancer
More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with brain cancer in the UK each year. Brain cancer, or a brain tumour is explained as a growth of cells in the brain that multiplies in an abnormal, uncontrollable way.
According to NHS England there are several signs and symptoms in the early stages.
- Headaches
- Seizures
- Nausea
- Vomitting
- Memory loss
- Paralysis usually on one side of the body
- Vision or speech loss
Every case is different, some may not experience any symptoms to begin with while others develop symptoms early on.
See a GP immediately or call 111 if you are experiencing any of the symptoms above, particularly if the headaches are worsening and unexplained.
How to donate
As of December 5, 2024 £49.1K ($69.6) has been raised for the American Cancer Society.
Iain has also raised £162.2 on his Gofundme page.
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If you would like to donate to Iain Ward's cause you can visit:
Cancer screenings in England
CATCHING cancer early gives you the best chance of survival, and a huge part of that is attending regular screenings.
NHS programmes can help diagnose the disease, or risk of it, and improve the likelihood of successful treatment.
There are three national screening programmes in England: cervical screening, breast screening and bowel screening.
"If you are eligible, please make every effort to have your screening test as they can detect a problem early, before you have any symptoms. ," the NHS says.
"Finding out about a problem early can mean that treatment is more effective."
Cervical screening
This is offered in England to people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 and is routinely carried out every three years up to the age of 49, and every five from 50 to 64.
Depending on the result, people may be recalled earlier.
During a cervical screening, samples are tested for high risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes nearly all cervical cancers.
Those that test positive are then analysed further.
Breast screening
Breast screenings, which involve an X-ray test called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they are too small to see or feel, are usually offered to women aged 50 to 71 in England.
But the NHS is trialling them for women under 50 if they have a high risk of developing breast cancer.
Bowel screening
This test detects whether patients are showing any early signs of cancer.
It is available to everyone aged 54 to 74, with the programme gradually expanding to those 50-plus after The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign.
Currently, those aged 54 to 74 are automatically sent an at-home test kit every two years, so make sure your GP has your correct address.
The at-home test involves providing a small poo sample to be checked for tiny amounts of blood, which could be caused by cancer.
If you're 75 or over, you can ask for a kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
Source: NHS
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