Stafford Rangers player Latham Grant in fight against rare cancer

Latham Grant, from Sedgley, plays for Stafford Rangers Football Club and was diagnosed with a rare type of neck and head cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer on June 22.

One in 100,000 of people with cancer have the disease which affects the throat, nasal passages and lymph nodes of patients.

Latham could go down the common routes of chemotherapy and radiotherapy to fight the cancerous cells but in his case can have as low as two per cent success on someone with an already strong immune system.

Therefore, after hours of research, he is aiming to raise money for an alternative treatment in Mexico - including oxygen therapy and undergoing an alkaline diet.

He said: "I am confident its not a death sentence and it is going to be okay. I knew the path I needed to go down if it was something serious. I wasn't scared.

"I've had to change my life a lot and start eating better. Not so much adding the healthy foods but cutting out the unhealthy and artificial foods. It adds up toxins and creates an environment for disease.

He said: "A lot of my family and people close to home have suffered from cancer before and not made it through. I believe that was a lot down to the treatments they were receiving like chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

"I don't believe that's the best option to have but at the same time when people are scared they don't know what to do.

"I think it makes more sense to down the route I'm going with the nutritional side of stuff. The success rate of chemo and radiation is very low at around 2.5% but the statistics for the treatment I'm having are more like 99%.

"The therapy that I've chosen and I'm trying to raise money towards is abroad and its a treatment where its all under one roof."

The focus of these treatments is not only physical but there is emphasis on restoring and strengthening the psychological impact that the illness poses.

This hospital provides all of the treatments necessary for his recovery in one location which is ideal as it eliminates any potential toll that travel would take on Latham's health.

In preparation for these treatments, Latham is already following a strict diet routine to cleanse and give the body the strongest fighting chance of success.

Latham added: "I was diagnosed with a head and neck cancer in June but wasn't feeling right for about six months. I felt ill but I thought it was cold and flu. That's when I started going to the doctors who said I needed painkillers and it was just glandular fever.

"Then we went for blood tests which came fine. When I finally went back again they thought it could possibly be TB or cancer which at the time I was thinking it wasn't going to be.

"But from the biopsy and the operation, I got diagnosed that it was head and neck cancer."

So far, Latham has raised almost £7,000 of his total towards the treatment and his story has been shared more than 3000 times online via his fundraising page.

He launched the appeal through an emotional video filmed at his home on YouTube.

Latham hopes the campain will not only benefit himself but inspire other people as well.

"I was ready for the worst but I've always believed in God, he said. "When my life is good I still thank him and when my life is bad like now I don't class it as a bad situation. I believe its a blessing and things are going to come from it.

"It's not just about me getting healed its about me giving hope to others and encouraging people. If I can be the living proof that it works - which I know it will - then I can help others that's my main aim from the campaign.

"This is why I see it more as a blessing than a burden.

The long term plan is to carry on helping and do as much as I can to help people.

"The aim of this campaign is to raise as many funds as possible to get the treatment I need and any on-going treatment afterwards."

To help Latham get the treatment he needs go to Latham Grant's cancer treatment fund at www.youcaring.com/latham-grant-622264