A 20-year-old from Stowmarket has completed his second year of university with a first, despite undergoing cancer treatment throughout.

Jake Andrade was first diagnosed with Acute Mild Leukaemia (AML) in March 2016, and was on remission before it came back in December last year.

He said: "In August 2016, I had four rounds of chemo, followed by a bone marrow transplant, and ended up being in remission for five years, and it was a good five years.

Stowmarket Mercury: Jake Andrade has undergone many round of Chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantsJake Andrade has undergone many round of Chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants (Image: Jade Marshall)

"I had written a book about my experience, had amazing opportunities and experiences with Make-A-Wish and Teenage Cancer Trust.

"I was even able to bounce back with my education, so I completed my GCSE's, A-Levels, went to university, and I even got a job and started learning to drive.

"I was pretty much back to normal in those five years, and then, all of a sudden, I relapsed.

"When I found out the second time that it had come back, it was a massive mental blow.

"I can't really describe how I felt, I was just so numb, as though everything had been taken out of my life.

"I was very pessimistic, people kept telling me I would be alright, and I kept saying 'Nah, I'll be dead by August'.

"I wasn't optimistic at all, but my friends and family got me through it, they were the ones that encouraged me, because I really had to question whether I wanted to go through treatment again, because the first time was horrible."

Stowmarket Mercury: Jake in December 2021, going through his first round of chemo since relapsingJake in December 2021, going through his first round of chemo since relapsing (Image: Jake Andrade)

During his second year of his course, Politics and History at the University of Suffolk, Jake had to undergo three rounds of chemotherapy, and a bone marrow transplant.

Despite all this, and not actually being able to go into university to study or classes, Jake passed the year, with a first-class grade.

Jake continued: "I am now around 130 days post-transplant, so in terms of treatment, everything is done, but it is now all about recovery, and trying to manage medications and things so I can be back to normal as much as I can."

During the five year period between 2016 and 2021, Jake was given the opportunity to go to Glasgow with Make-A-Wish, and being a big wrestling fan, was able to see WWE Live.

Stowmarket Mercury: Jake going through his second round of chemo in February 2022Jake going through his second round of chemo in February 2022 (Image: Jake Andrade)

He also went on a weekend away with Teenage Cancer Trust, who organised a trip called 'Find your sense of Tumour', which gathered a load of teenage and young adult wards in hospitals from around the country to get together for a weekend.

Talking about his experiences going through AML treatments twice, at such a young age, Jake said: "I am 20, this is not what 20-year-olds should be doing, and I feel very behind with where I should be in my life.

"It has been very tough to put up with that, but I think a big part is focusing on what I wanted to do and achieve, I wanted to go to university, so I did it.

"It was really difficult though, it really wasn't easy, and I did have my moments where I did feel like giving up.

Stowmarket Mercury: April 2022, Jake going through his second bone marrow transplantApril 2022, Jake going through his second bone marrow transplant (Image: Jake Andrade)

"You just want to get on with life, but you can't because you might plan a day at home, just to relax, and then you get called in by the hospital for scans."

Jake has written a book about his experiences, which he did have ready to publish just before he relapsed, but due to that, he had to put it on hold.

"The book actually started off as a diary when I was first diagnosed in 2016, and I was recording every day events, and I remember I was upset about losing my hair, and my mum suggested putting some of the hair into the diary.

"It then became a five-year long project, and then I relapsed so it is now a six-year project, all about my story and what I have gone through."

Stowmarket Mercury: Jake Andrade from Stowmarket passed his second year of university with a firstJake Andrade from Stowmarket passed his second year of university with a first (Image: Jade Marshall)