A former football player whose sports injury turned out to be a rare form of bone cancer is raising money to afford treatment abroad.

Spencer McCall, 25, from Watford, was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma in February last year. Doctors believed it was a stress fracture in his leg as a result of a football injury but it was found that Spencer had a 7cm tumour.

Spencer, who played for Hemel FC, went through 14 cycles of chemotherapy between February and September of 2019. He then spent the next eight months suffering from the side effects of the treatment and underwent three major surgeries.

He finished chemotherapy in September and said he was given the "all clear" by doctors.

But this February, two weeks after his 25th birthday, a routine scan showed that Spencer's cancer had spread to his lungs and there were multiple tumours on both sides.

After five cycles of treatment including two different chemotherapy drugs, scans confirmed the disease was still progressing aggressively.

Hillingdon Times:
Spencer (middle) with his brothers Jack and Darren. Credit: Gary McCall 

Doctors then said in June the tumours were still growing despite treatment and that he should consider alternative treatments which aren't available in the UK.

After speaking to medical experts, Spencer decided he needed to raise around £90,000 for a new treatment plan. 

His treatment will include Trans Arterial Chemoperfusion where a chemotherapy drug is injected into the tumour. Doctors also said he would need Immunotherapy in two clinics in Germany and Dendritic Cell Therapy in Spain.

Although Spencer's dad, Gary, said the £90,000 figure is not definitive as he could need more treatment, experts said the treatments in conjunction with each other would enhance the success rate of stopping the progression of the disease. 

Gary added: "It's a horrible journey, you think it's something that happens to other people and not to you. 

"When you go on the journey you realise you're not the master of your own fate and when you go to the scans you hope that tumours has shrunk a bit."

Spencer is also taking drugs and supplements advised to him by medical doctors, that costs £1,500 a month in the UK.

As of today (August 10), Spencer has now raised more than £95,000. To donate go to: www.justgiving.com.