Throat Cancer Survivor Talks After Surgery All Thanks To His Grim Reaper Tattoo

Cancer affects millions of people every year. Recently, a man who was diagnosed with cancer underwent life-saving surgery and had his throat reconstructed using skin from his arm that featured a tattoo of the Grim Reaper.

Colin Reilly, from England's Bristol, recorded his own voice before the surgery as there was a risk of losing his ability to speak due to the operation. Doing so would allow him to use his own voice if he needed to use a speech-generating communication device in the future.

BBC

The 50-year-old was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2020 and underwent six months of radiotherapy between October and December 2020. However, it was evident that his tumour had advanced. He was given six months to live if the tumour was left untreated.

Ear, nose and throat specialist Dr Oliver Dale agreed to carry out the surgery despite the surgery being of high risk due to the tumour's location. There was a huge risk that Reilly would not be able to speak or eat again.

The surgery was done in May 2021 and involved reconstruction of his tongue and throat by taking skin from his arm, which was covered with a tattoo of the Grim Reaper. One day after Reilly's surgery, the hospital staff was surprised when he managed to speak.

BBC

He worked with the hospital's speech and language therapist Dayna Freeney on speaking and eating as he recovered.

"I know I've been lucky, years ago I had a friend who died of throat cancer. I thank God for the technology and surgical advancement which have given me this second chance. There not enough I can do to pay the hospital back," Reilly was quoted as saying by LADbible.

Twelve weeks after the surgery, he was told that the surgery was a success as all the tumour had been fully removed.

"It was the best day of my life," he said.

BBC

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