Kiwi rugby league player Jay Barnett urges others: ‘Get checked early’

Jay Barnett, 22, has been diagnosed with a rare form of stage four cancer. Photo / Jay Barnett

A Kiwi rugby league player has opened up about his diagnosis with stage 4 cancer as he urged others to see a doctor “the quicker, the better”.

Jay Barnett was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma four months ago after he had initially ignored a lump on his calf that doctors suspected was caused by muscle tears.

The 22-year-old told the Daily Mail the news the aggressive cancer had spread to his lungs had been “a tough pill to swallow”.

“Doctors gave me a 25% chance of still being alive in five years’ time,” he said.

“They also said that my leg may have to be amputated – it was hard to hear, and I lost a lot of hope.”

His long-term prognosis has improved since undergoing weekly chemotherapy treatment.

“The five-year survival odds have increased to 50%.”

His leg is now unlikely to be amputated, but he is expected to receive radiation and rehabilitation following surgery to remove the cancer from his leg.

Barnett will then undergo surgery to remove the cancer from his lungs.

@keepjaylowkeyy

After the video the boys posted yesterday the word is out. I’ve been diagnosed with a rare cancer called Ewing sarcoma. Started in my calf and has sadly spread to the lung so I’ll be doing chemo for hopefully around 8 months. Grateful for all the support around me and these two shaving their heads was unreal. Love you whānau. #fyp

♬ Free Mind - Tems

“I definitely wish I got my lump checked out sooner,” he said.

He urged others to be aware of the early signs of the serious illness and not to hold off on going to doctor: “The quicker, the better”.

“It could be the difference between survival and death.”

The Gold Coast-based sportsman moved to Australia four years ago to pursue a career in league and has played for the Burleigh Bears.

“Cancer has given me a different perspective on life,” he told the Daily Mail. ”Every day I wake up, I take a deep breath and realise that life is not as hard as it could be.”

Barnett is working four days a week as a plumber to cover his costs as he is not an Australian citizen and can’t claim support from the Government.

He said the help of his family and friends, who have raised $42,440 for his medical bills, had helped him cope with the diagnosis.

“The support has been extremely overwhelming – it has taken away a lot of the pressure and stress.”