AFTER experiencing heartburn and indigestion, Zack Van Aarde visited his GP and began taking medication for acid reflux.
But the 41-year-old dad discovered his symptoms were actually being caused by cancer after he began “vomiting blood”.
Zack Van Aarde with his wife Jess and two kids Joshua, 10, and Hannah eight[/caption]
After Jess found him collapsed on the stairs, Zack was diagnosed with oesophagealcancer[/caption]
Zack was diagnosed with stage four oesophageal cancer in what came as a “huge shock” to him and his wife Jess, 42.
The account executive at a cyber security firm, from Bantham, South Devon, said: “It’s been a rollercoaster.
“I always kept myself fit and healthy as a young dad.
“It came as a massive shock but we’re doing everything we can give myself the best chance.”
Zack always considering himself “active” and regularly ran ultramarathons when he began experiencing gastric issues at the start of 2024.
Despite taking medication from the GP, the symptoms persisted and things “took a turn” in July 2025.
Jess woke up after she heard him collapse on the stairs and found him vomiting blood.
Jess, a holiday consultant, said: “We didn’t want to scare the kids, so quickly got him in the room and called an ambulance.
“He’d lost so much blood he was struggling to stand or sit up.”
The dad-of-two was rushed to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, where doctors initially suspected he had suffered a stomach ulcer.
However, following an endoscopy – a procedure involving a camera down the throat – doctors handed Zack his diagnosis.
Doctors initially planned to operate on the 6cm tumour but decided to begin chemotherapy first with the hopes of shrinking it.
Zack is now undergoing chemotherapy sessions every two weeks to fight the cancer, as well as having weekly blood tests and scans to check the progression.
He said: “It’s the hardest thing as a parent, telling your kids you’ve got cancer.
“But they’re very resilient and they’re handled it amazingly.”
The couple are also fundraising to financially support their family – including their two kids Joshua, 10, and Hannah eight – while Zack is unable to work.
Zack is now undergoing chemotherapy sessions every two weeks to fight the cancer[/caption]
He’s also fundraising for alternative treatments[/caption]
The funds are also going towards “additional therapies” that are not available on the NHS to go alongside his chemotherapy like hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy – which increases the delivery of oxygen to the body – which Zack hopes will “rejuvenate” his cells more quickly.
Doctors strongly advise that cancer patients should consult with medical experts before seeking alternative therapies.
Zack said: “Chemotherapy kills all the cells – good and bad ones.
“To give my cells the best chance of rejuvenating more quickly, we’ve been researching additional therapies.
“I’m determined to do whatever I can to give me the best chance for my family.”
As part of his fundraising efforts, Zack is continuing to run throughout his treatment, and will run “one mile” for every £10 raised on his Go Fund Me page.
The warning signs of oesophageal cancer
OESOPHAGEAL cancer is a cancer of the food pipe.
It affects 9,400 people in the UK every year, and most people are over the age of 60.
Smoking increases your risk of the disease, as does being overweight, drinking alcohol and having conditions like Barrett’s oesophagus, where the cells lining your oesophagus have become abnormal.
Only 12 per cent of patients survive for 10 or more years after being diagnosed.
There are around 8,000 oesophageal cancer deaths in the UK every year – or 22 every day.
Early diagnosis is key, so recognising the symptoms is vital. The most common include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Unexplained weight loss
- Indigestion or heartburn that doesn’t go away
- Pain in the throat or behind the breastbone
But some people also experience a cough, hoarseness, dark poo, tiredness and food coming back up after swallowing.
Source: Cancer Research UK
