I have turned down chemo for stage 4 cancer. Instead I’m doing a 21-day water fast to ‘clean’ my body. People will judge and disagree, but this is why I know it’s the right decision

A mother-of-one battling stage four blood cancer has refused chemotherapy in favor of a controversial £12,000 ‘water fast’ course after her cancer returned following 16 grueling treatment sessions.

Sarah Ford, 42, received the devastating diagnosis in February 2024 after experiencing hay fever-like symptoms, shortness of breath and hip pain while on honeymoon in Türkiye with husband Sam Cullingworth.

When the former bodybuilder was hospitalized, a CT scan revealed an 11cm-long mass in the middle of his chest.

After returning to the UK, he was admitted to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford and was finally diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma (an aggressive form of blood cancer that starts in the white blood cells) after doctors found growths on his chest and right hip.

‘When they told me about the mass, I was surprised that I was an active and healthy person,’ he recalled.

Over the next two months, the newly married mother of one underwent four grueling chemotherapy sessions that successfully shrank the cancer.

But the next four rounds of stronger treatment, which doctors hoped would put him into remission, proved ineffective.

After a six-week break, Ms. Ford underwent five more rounds of chemotherapy, along with three rounds of immunotherapy, which uses the body’s immune system to attack the cancer, and by New Year’s Eve, all was well.

Sarah first started experiencing hay fever-like symptoms in May 2023, but didn’t think much about it

The former paramedic began experiencing shortness of breath and hip pain in October 2023 while on her honeymoon with husband Sam.

‘When I was finally told I was in remission, it felt like we had taken a break from the relentless chemotherapy,’ he recalled.

‘I was hoping to get back into bodybuilding, return to my job as a paramedic and have another child.’

But a few weeks after receiving the good news, Ms. Ford’s cancer returned.

‘I had just reached a very high level and was planning to slowly get back to my life and had to put everything on hold again,’ he said.

Even though Hodgkin’s lymphoma is one of the most easily treated types of cancer, his doctors told him he was running out of treatment options.

He was subjected to the last five rounds of immunotherapy, but the treatment did not work. As a last resort, he was offered more chemotherapy.

Feeling hopeless after many grueling treatments that failed, the mother of one rejected conventional treatment and opted for a 21-day water fast instead.

The medically supervised course will see him drinking only 350ml of water a day and consuming no food.

Just when she vowed to do everything she could to be a fit and healthy mother to her son, she was heartbreakingly diagnosed with stage 4 blood cancer in February 2024.

Sarah was subjected to brutal chemotherapy sessions that doctors hoped would help shrink the cancer that was causing her hair loss.

She said: ‘I actually came across True North’s water fast early in my treatment.

‘During this time, I was constantly researching how I could help my body’s health in more organic ways.

‘I started fasting during chemotherapy treatment after reading about how it could reduce side effects.’

Ms. Ford began a medically supervised fast on September 25, within two weeks of contacting the clinic.

‘It was a careful and meticulous decision. I definitely wanted to be safe and taken care of as I went through what seemed like a crazy undertaking.

‘It was very important that my husband, son, family and friends knew that I was being cared for.’

Her husband Sam, 55, said: ‘Sarah’s decision to fast rather than undergo further chemotherapy and follow the traditional route was a scary one to get on board with at first.

‘But I’m now convinced he made the right decision.’

The former bodybuilder said his diagnosis was shocking considering how fit and active he was.

Having given up on traditional treatments, Sarah is now starting a 21-day water fast. Health officials claim that this will put your body into a state of ketosis and eliminate toxins that prevent the body from healing.

Heidi Smith from Blood Cancer UK warned: ‘If someone is considering alternative treatment such as water fasting, we would strongly encourage them to speak to their hospital team.

‘Our priority is to ensure that people with blood cancer have the best possible outcomes, and this means following treatment plans that are supported by strong clinical evidence.’

The doctor treating Ms. Ford claims that water fasting works, but cites a single case published in the British Medical Journal of a patient with stage 1 lymphoma who went into remission after water fasting and changing her diet.

Founder of True North Health Center, Dr. Alan Goldhamer added: ‘In appropriately selected patients (determined by medical history, physical examination and laboratory tests), fasting under medical supervision may be safe.

‘When you fast, the body eliminates dietary excess and accumulated toxins that prevent the body from healing itself.’

But cancer experts argue that patients should seek medical advice before starting alternative treatments.

Ms Ford is still fundraising for her treatment GoFundMeShe hopes to see her return as a healthy and fit mother to her four-year-old son.

Symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma can vary widely because not all patients will develop significant swellings or growths.

Sarah continues to raise funds to support her health journey through GoFundMe

Night sweats, involuntary weight loss, high fever, persistent cough and itchy skin are other less well-known symptoms.

For some patients, a collection of abnormal cells inside the body, in the abdominal area, leads to digestive symptoms such as indigestion and abdominal pain.

Symptoms may include persistent fatigue and excessive bleeding, as well as pain in the lymph nodes after drinking alcohol.

Around 2,100 people are diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the UK each year.

It is a rare cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands spread throughout the body that is responsible for getting rid of waste and fighting infections.

In Hodgkin lymphoma, cells in this system develop abnormally, creating swelling near lymph nodes such as the neck, armpit and groin.

Damaged cells also lose their infection-fighting properties, making patients more vulnerable to infection.

Hodgkin lymphoma can develop at any age, but most often affects men between the ages of 20 and 40 and people over 75.