Antonio Banderas tips Holland to become new Zorro

$A boxer who fought cancer is making an emotional return to the ring - after being told he could have just years to live.Oliver Famili, 34, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma - a rare cancer usually seen in older people - six years agoDoctors told him the cancer was incurable - and his boxing career was likely over after just one fight.But after receiving specialist treatment, Oliver, from Hemel Hempstead, will be donning the gloves again.He is taking part in an event at London's O2 Arena in May - and wants to continue his unbeaten record.Oliver said: "I'm doing it to try and give people in my situation hope, to show people that cancer is not a death sentence. "You can pull through anything if you try your hardest. I'm fighting someone called Black Rock. He's has a better record than me and has had more fights than me too - so it should be tough."It's not going to be easy, but I want the challenge. I won my first fight, so currently I have an unbeaten record. Hopefully it stays that way."Oliver was aged just 28 when he received the bleak prognosis, in March 2017.Multiple myeloma, also known as myeloma, is a type of bone marrow cancer.It is so-called as the cancer often affects several areas of the body, such as the spine, skull, pelvis and ribs.Oliver was left with 11 fractures in his spine that had to be repaired with gruelling surgeries to cement his bones back together.He then took part in complex CAR T-cell treatment in London - which was successful.And Oliver was put in remission in September 2022, he says.Oliver said: "One day I collapsed, but I count myself very lucky for that fall because it finally led to a CT scan and began my journey to where I am today."I remember being more worried about my family than me really, I was more scared for them than myself."I had to go through two stem cell transplants, loads of chemotherapy, and a line of immunotherapy once a week."But I just kept relapsing, until eventually I got to take part in a CAR T-cell therapy trial with University College London Hospitals."It was a dangerous trial. They were worried it would give me memory loss. So for 35 days I had to be observed in hospital making sure I could still write and speak."But it put me in remission, which was amazing."They told me to enjoy it while it lasts, as it's possible that because my cancer is incurable it may come back. But I'm free of it at the moment."From being wheelchair bound, I now run 5K most days, and I'm fighting in the O2 on May 13th."Oliver worked as a pest control technician before being diagnosed with his cancer.He later founded his own pest control company using only natural methods from his hospital bed in 2017.Gold Pest Control now has two vans and was just recently taken national, he says.Now he's determined to win his fight on May 13 to raise awareness of his condition and other cancers and inspire people suffering from similar conditions.$

Antonio Banderas tips Holland to become new Zorro

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