My name is Chris Shaw, and I’m a 41-year-old freelance motion designer living in Copplestone. I’m married to my incredible wife, Carla, and we have a beautiful 6-year-old daughter named Ember. We also have an amazing dog called CeCe, who became my chemo buddy during treatment—she earned that nickname after never leaving my side when I returned home from each cycle.

In January 2024, I found a lump on my neck. The doctors weren’t concerned at first and told me it was likely a result of a cold and swollen lymph nodes. But my local pharmacist strongly believed it was something more serious. Two months, multiple biopsies, and several scans later, I was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (the same type as my hero, Mark Hoppus)—an aggressive form of blood cancer that can be fatal within weeks or months without treatment. Fortunately, it was caught at Stage 1, which was incredibly lucky, as this cancer usually isn’t found until Stages 3 or 4 due to how rapidly it spreads.

I underwent three months of R-CHOP chemotherapy and immunotherapy, and it was, without question, the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced. It wasn’t always easy, but I stayed positive thanks to the incredible support of my family and friends. In August, I was officially declared in complete remission… although something unusual showed up with my thyroid and needed further investigation. The relief was short-lived, as there was concern I might have a completely different type of cancer. Once again, I had to undergo multiple biopsies. All the results came back inconclusive, so three days before Christmas, I had a hemithyroidectomy to be 100% sure. I’m very relieved to say that the results came back benign—and I am now officially cancer-free and recovering well. My hair even grew back curly, which is awesome!

I’m running the Great West Run half marathon on May 25th, 2025, to raise money for FORCE Exeter, who provide critical care and support for people affected by this brutal disease. The hardest part of my own journey was seeing just how sick others were during our chemo sessions. FORCE work tirelessly to support both patients and their families through it all.

I’ve done this run before, but my body is still recovering from the chemo, the surgery, and I’m also dealing with a knee injury—so this year’s run will be incredibly challenging. Thank you for your support, and I’ll see you at the finish line.