Jason Styne's Hogkin's Lymphoma Cancer Story
“It’s taught me that life’s too short, you never know when things might go wrong and there’s no point living in fear."
In September 2020, Jason Stynes, an avid wrestler who was 19 at the time, found a lump under his arm and felt tired all the time.
The Wicklow native from Bray went to his GP, who suspected Jason had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. His GP also told him to go to A&E first thing in the morning, where their suspicion was confirmed.
“At first I thought I might just have pulled a muscle in training, but it kept coming and going until it eventually got sore, so I went to see my GP and he told me to go to the Emergency Department first thing in the morning, which I did.”
“I knew the next few months weren’t going to be easy,” Jason says. “I was taken aback by it.”
Jason had chemotherapy to treat his advanced Hodgkin lymphoma in the hospital every three weeks for six months from the end of 2020 to the beginning of 2021. “It was very intense,” he says.
The treatment was during the Covid pandemic, and as a result Jason had to isolate himself during treatment due to his immune system. “I wasn’t allowed to leave the house,” he says.
“It’s very important to have a strong support around you, your family and friends, and stay as healthy as you can. If it wasn’t for my family bringing me to my hospital appointments, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
Jason went into remission in February 2021. He says getting the confirmation that his cancer was gone, was “one of the best feelings”.
“Since I got the all clear, I’ve just been living my life as normal. Once you get the all clear, it’s something that’s in the past.”
For Jason, living his life as ‘normal’ includes travelling around the world to compete in wrestling matches. In the last five years, he’s travelled to 14 different countries to wrestle people from all over the world.
The now 24-year-old organised a fundraiser in Bray last year and raised €2,200 for the Irish Cancer Society by selling tickets to a wrestling match. He says it was amazing to help organise this fundraiser as the cause is “close to my heart”.
“I was more than happy to run with it and put in as much as I could into it.”
Jason now just has one appointment left to attend and will be discharged from the clinic this spring.
Jason also says his brush with cancer has given him a new perspective on life, and has inspired him to chase his dreams.
“It’s taught me that life’s too short, you never know when things might go wrong and there’s no point living in fear. It inspired me to do acting work which is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
