Joe Beckwith’s life changed forever in October 2022. This 34-year-old father of three children, however, suffered from a perfectly banal illness since he had simply noticed that one of his insect bites was not healing. On the advice of his sister Leanne, Joe ended up calling the medical helpline who, in turn, strongly advised him to go to the hospital. It was after a few blood tests that Joe Beckwith learned of his diagnosis: leukemia. “Our world fell apart,” his sister Leanne told Leeds Live, adding: “It was horrible, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. If he hadn’t gone to hospital, he would have no idea – he had no other symptoms other than a few night sweats which he didn’t care about.”
This diagnosis had direct consequences on Joe Beckwith’s family life, who was unable to spend the Christmas holidays with his children and loved ones, his immune system being too fragile to withstand the usual seasonal colds. Chemotherapy treatment began soon after the bad news, although the father-of-one had to undergo treatment with antibiotics first to cure the infamous insect bite that sent him to hospital. The good news is that, according to the Mirror, Joe Beckwith was in remission as of December 2022 after his first round of chemotherapy. He is also very well surrounded and supported by his family while he fights against his leukemia.
Unwavering generosity
The mother of his fiancée Ellie has indeed created an online kitty to try to cover part of the many medical costs incurred by the disease. On top of that, Joanne, the mother-in-law, explained that half of the money raised will be donated to the hematology department in the Bexley wing of St James’s Hospital where Joe is hospitalized. The latter would like to thank the caregivers who took care of him during this difficult period. “The kitty is to make it a little easier for him and his family to focus on his health. We don’t want him to panic about the bills. And he says the staff from the Bexley wing is so nice that he would like to do something for them too”.
Joe Beckwith © GoFundMe
