A FATHER-OF-THREE thought he had food poisoning - but it turned out to be stage-four cancer.

Simon Kelly, from Tilgate, believed he had an upset stomach until a blood test led to a diagnosis of bowel cancer.

The 37-year-old was thought to be severely anaemic and was taken to hospital for further tests in June.

These revealed that he had cancer, which had already spread to his liver and stomach.

His sister Natasha, 36, is now spearheading a Gofundme campaign to raise funds for specialist treatment in Germany.

The Argus: Simon, his wife Kamila and their three sons Aaron, Nathan and Alex.Simon, his wife Kamila and their three sons Aaron, Nathan and Alex.

"It's been a real rollercoaster. We lost our dad in January and when Simon had stomach problems around then he didn't think much of it we figured it was grief, then when it happened again in June, no one thought it would be something so serious," said Natasha.

Simon was told to try chemo therapy first but to "not get his hopes up", so Natasha reached out to several hospital to see who could roll out the treatment in the fastest time.

He was now had five rounds of chemo at St Lukes Hospital in Guildford and the Gofundme has raised over £9,000.

Natasha, a senior management support worker for the NHS, said: "He's amazing he stays so incredibly positive and he has so much love around him.

"His oldest boy Aaron is almost 16, he's doing his GCSEs and he, like the twins Alex and Nathan who are 13, have to get on with it unfortunately.

"There's still so much laughter in the house. Kamila, his wife has been just amazing. We're trying to keep things as normal as possible, having family dinners and walks."

The Argus: Simon worked as an IT consultant before he was ill.Simon worked as an IT consultant before he was ill.

The next step for the family's fundraising efforts is a sponsored walk from Brighton seafront to Simon's home in Crawley on Saturday 30, a 24-mile walk expected to take eight hours.

"It was Simon's best friend Alex's idea with some of his other friends, and now we've had people from Simon's old school who want to take part as well. To have all this support, it's just so heartwarming, it means the world to him and us," said Natasha.

Simon is currently on leave from his work as an IT consultant for Transport for London.

His sister says he has lost a lot of weight due to the chemo but he is keeping as active as possible by going on walks and using a stationary bike.

Natasha said: "Everyone in his life is just hoping he gets better soon, Simon has such a way about him, he's a very charming and charismatic man. Everyone that knows him is very fond of him."

She adds that Simon wholeheartedly believe he can beat the disease.

She said: "He has so many dreams, he wants to see his boys grow up, he wants to go on family trips, he wants to have adventures with Kamila. No one deserves to have that taken away at such a young age."

The Argus: Simon was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer following a routine blood test.Simon was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer following a routine blood test.

The Gofundme has raised over £8,000 made up from family members, friends and total strangers.

"Thank you to everyone who has supported Si and has donated. We are so incredibly overwhelmed by people's generosity and donations. We just pray that Simon will will be able to get the treatment he needs," said Natasha.

If you would like to donate to Simon's cause, visit the Gofundme page at www.gofundme.com/f/simons-cancer-fight.

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