'I am still here': Swansea man given months to live becomes invincible cricket captain

A Swansea business owner, who was told he had just months to live after the discovery of a brain tumour, has beaten the odds to captain his local cricket side through an unbeaten season.
Robert Jones says a surgeon gave him between 12 and 18 months to live after he underwent an operation to remove the aggressive tumour.
The 62-year-old owner of Rowberry shoe stores received immunotherapy treatment at a hospital in London in December 2022, where a vaccine was made from his tumour, which he is still using as treatment to prolong his life.
“I was asymptomatic, so I had no idea what was coming”, he told ITV Wales.
“It was coming to the end of the day, and I was looking forward to meeting up with friends, but I passed out and had a seizure.”
“Within a week, I was in the University Hospital of Wales, I was operated on, and a small tumour the size of a marble was removed from the back of my head.”
Robert says the prognosis after the operation was hard to take, with the surgeon who had operated on him telling him he had less than two years to live.
“The first thing I said to the surgeon was, 'Are there any exceptions?' And she said yes, it’s about five per cent.
“I thought I am going to be that 5 per cent. I was determined from the word go, I was going to beat it.”
Two and a half years on from his operation, Robert says the cancer is under control and he is feeling fit and well.
He regularly captains Swansea Civil Service Cricket Club's third team and last year led the side through an invincible league season.
Winning 12 games and drawing one, his team won the league title, amassing 267 points.
“The kindness shown to me by every member of the cricket club has been absolutely fantastic.”
“Last season, we went all year without losing a single game. I still can’t believe it.”
“It’s been over two and a half years, and I am still here. I’d like to think the vaccines have given me a bit more time, and I am feeling great. I’m playing cricket every weekend, which is what I live for, so it’s all positive.”
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