Published 18th Apr 2023, 11:50 BST

Dave Green, a retired climbing instructor from Huddersfield, was running a climbing taster session for local schoolchildren in late 2011, when one of them unexpectedly let go of the bouldering wall and “flopped” on top of him, breaking his back. It proved to be a blessing in disguise as scans later revealed his bones had been hollowed out by myeloma, an incurable blood cancer which can cause holes in the bones, broken spines and kills 3,000 people in the UK each year.

Had the accident not occurred, Dave believes his cancer may not have been picked up in time. Eleven years and four rounds of treatment later, the 70-year-old says: “In a way I was lucky I was diagnosed before any more damage was done. Perhaps everyone in their late 50s should be stress-tested by a child falling down on them.”

Around 24,000 people are living with myeloma in the UK. While it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of cases, with treatment aimed at controlling the disease, relieving the complications and symptoms it causes, and extending and improving patients’ quality of life.

Dave Green, from Huddersfield, found out he had incurable blood cancer after a child fell on top of him during a climbing mishap, breaking his back.

It is especially difficult to detect as symptoms, including back pain, easily broken bones, fatigue and recurring infection, are often linked to general ageing or minor conditions.

In Dave’s case, severe back pain was put down by his doctor as a run-of-the-mill muscle injury linked to the accident. But Dave says he pushed for an X-ray and seven weeks after the accident, in November 2011, he was diagnosed with myeloma.

“Once it started to sink in, my reaction was, ‘How long have I got and how do I increase that time?’,” recalls Dave, who has two stepchildren. “They said that the median life expectancy was five to eight years. My question was, ‘How do I get eight rather than five years?’. I seem to have done that plus some more.”

Dave initially wore a brace to help support his back and allow his vertebrae to heal. But the damage was too severe and he ended up undergoing back surgery. Dave has since received two stem-cell transplants and signed up to two clinical trials. He’s now on his fourth round of treatment.

“There have been many ups and down both in terms of response to treatment and the emotional and physical rollercoaster it’s caused,” he said. “But I’m still going strong.”

Dave is backing Myeloma UK’s spring appeal and is keen to raise awareness of the symptoms of myeloma and encourage people to listen to their bodies and trust their instincts.

To support Myeloma UK’s Spring Appeal and help fund support services for patients and their families, go to myeloma.org.uk/services-appeal/

Yorkshire man found out he had incurable blood cancer after child fell on top of him in climbing accident, breaking his back