An 84-year-old man, who was told back in 2002 he had only three months to live, is still alive... 15 years on!
Ron Adams was told the devastating news that his suspected lung cancer was incurable.
Like many he instantly thought about how to go out with a bang. What use was the money in his bank account when he'd gone?
Ron spent £50,000 on a spending spree, including £20,000 on a self-named 'cancer car' (a Mercedes CLK) and £3,650 on seven koi carp fish plus a collection of 507 pre-war model cars.
Ron and his 'cancer car'. Credit: SWNS
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He initially went to the doctors after he'd had a cough for several weeks, and then to the Solihull hospital for further tests.
"They felt it would be best if I brought someone with me," said Ron. A concerning phrase for anyone.
He continued: "I took my eldest son Mark - he's now 55.
"They said it was cancer of the lung and it was terminal, that there was nothing they could do for me.
"Then I asked how long I'd got, and they said around three months."
What confused Ron, more than anything, was that he hadn't felt any pain, nor did he feel unwell.
"I didn't know what to think," he said. "But I can't remember being that upset. It was a bit of a shock.
"I felt a number of emotions, but pain was not among them."
Ron then began to prepare for the inevitable, and admits he became more and more worried about his condition.
"You do believe every cough and every pain is the beginning of the end," he explained.
Ron, and his wife, Shiela. Credit: SWNS
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Ron wanted to treat his wife before he left, and so began his big-budget spending spree. Ron and Shiela, 84, had been married for 47 years at the time.
"When you have life savings stored up, and you're told you don't have long left, what else do you do?
"I wouldn't be there to do the jobs for my wife, so I decided to get them all done before I died."
A new bathroom and new driveway were among the first jobs completed. Next, his attentions turned to his family.
"I was just giving my sons handfuls on money. One of them looked at the bundle of notes and asked 'is it real, dad?' I was holding £5,000."
"I just wanted them to be secure after I was gone."
He bought his collection of cars on top of this. The Mercedes has since been nicknamed the 'cancer car'.
Six months down the line and Ron was still alive, but suddenly started having chest pains and tight breathing - another trip to hospital was on the cards.
"They did a biopsy and confirmed I had lung cancer," he said. "But this time they said it was slow-growing and could be treated.
"I had lung cancer. I may still have lung cancer but I'm alive."
After a course of radiotherapy, the growth shrunk, to the extent that he is still alive today.
Roy spent £50,000 including on toy cars. Credit: SWNS
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But the process has changed Ron's perceptions on life.
"I used to be scared of everything," he added. "I've had worries all my life and I'm not doing to worry again.
"I used to suffer travel sickness. After the news that I was dying I took a holiday to Spain and flew for the first time in my life without taking medications. I found out I didn't need the tablets - I could travel without them."
Ron, who still lives in Birmingham, said: "There's a message here. Even the doctors don't get it right all the time - and, for that reason, you should never lose hope.
"We all make mistakes, and that's a mistake I'm very glad they made."
Cancer is one of the biggest killers on this planet, with scientists struggling to the know the exact way to treat it fully.
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However, sometimes people take it into their own hands.
Callie Blackwell, wrote in her book, The Boy In 7 Billion, that they took 'a decision that will horrify many parents reading this' for their son, who was dying of a rare form of cancer. They gave their son cannabis, and his health dramatically improved.
So much so, that he made a full recovery.
Topics: Cancer