When father-of-three and life-long golfer Neil Clark was diagnosed with cancer, it was at the height of the pandemic in July 2020. Soon after his diagnosis, Neil had to undergo an intense period of cancer treatment. With visitation restrictions in place due to Covid-19, Neil’s wife and three children were unable to visit him at hospital, including when he became unwell half-way through treatment. Despite this incredibly challenging time, Neil remained optimistic throughout.

“After I was diagnosed with head and neck cancer, I went through chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy which caused me to lose a lot of weight because I couldn’t eat anything following the treatments” Neil said. “It was a very difficult time but knowing I had lots of potential options for treatment gave me hope that my cancer could be cured, and I still felt empowered to keep going.”

Nine months later, Neil was told that the treatment had successfully removed the cancer.

However, in May 2023, Neil started to feel pain at the bottom of his back. He spoke to his GP, and after further testing, he was sadly diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer.

Neil was told the cancer had spread to his lungs and that it was now incurable. He tried immunotherapy, but this ended up aggravating the cancer.

“Immunotherapy could have been a saviour, and unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. There's no one size fits all drug. That’s why research into new treatments is so important.”

Neil is currently undergoing his final rounds of chemotherapy treatment to help control the spread of cancer and prolong his life. While his energy levels are low, he continues to persevere and enjoy every day to the fullest.

This year Neil celebrated his daughter’s 18th birthday as well as his son’s graduation. He also loves being outdoors and plays his favourite sport; golf, whenever he can.

“You can still carry on doing things during treatment,” he explained. “It’s all about getting your head in the game. It’s a mindset.”

“There also needs to be more education about how you can support your health to keep going during and after cancer treatment,” Neil added. “Not eating too much sugar or going for a walk in the morning, for example. Little lifestyle adjustments that keep you fit and active are really important.”

Neil chose Yorkshire Cancer Research as this year’s charity partner for an annual charity golf tournament that he attends every year. Neil is a much-loved member of the community and thanks to his support, the event, organised by Yorkshire-based firm Brackenridge Hanson Tate, raised vital funds for life-saving cancer research.

“I’ve still not completely given up hope. The money raised for Yorkshire Cancer Research will go on to fund new research and save more lives, and I really have faith that one day we will find a cure.”