Dad thought he had lost appetite months before devastating diagnosis

A father-of-two was diagnosed with cancer after his children noticed he lost his appetite for Christmas dinner.

Jim Delaney, 66, had noticed subtle signs leading up to the festive period, including unexplained weight loss, tiredness, and back pain - but on Christmas, his adult children, Emer and Kealan, 27 and 31, noticed something was seriously wrong.

When he struggled to eat his favourite meal of the year - his Christmas dinner - the Edinburgh siblings urged Jim to go to the doctor, where he was diagnosed with myeloma, a form of blood cancer.

"We noticed he was losing weight and he was quite sleepy," said Emer.

"The real kicker was his back pain and him not eating his favourite foods during the festive period.

"We knew something was wrong."

Shortly after Christmas, Jim sought help from his GP - and in 2020, after appointments and blood tests, he received a myeloma diagnosis, aged 61.

""It was a bit of a shock," said Emer.

"My dad was out for a walk one day when the phone rang and it was the GP saying he needed to go to the hospital ASAP.

"I had to phone my parents and say, 'Something is wrong'.

"He was diagnosed quickly. The healthcare professionals were all quite shocked he was even able to go for a walk because the myeloma was very advanced.

"That sums up the type of person my dad is."

Jim, has since had chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant.

Unfortunately, his cancer came back last year and he had to start treatment again.

He also received a second stem cell transplant to try and keep the cancer at bay.

Thankfully Jim is now stable.

"He's back at work and doing amazing," added Emer.

Last year, daughter Emer ran the Edinburgh Half Marathon to raise money for Myeloma UK, after the family relied on the charity for support and information throughout Jim's diagnosis and treatments.

"One of the first things we did when he was diagnosed was Google myeloma and it was very helpful to find Myeloma UK and to have resources to help us understand it and break it down," said Emer.

"I wanted to raise money for Myeloma UK.

"The hope is, if he relapses again, there will be other treatments; new options for him to have a good quality of life."

And after running the Edinburgh Half Marathon last year for Myeloma UK, Emer knew she had it in her to complete the full marathon this time around.

Inspired by her efforts her brother signed up to the half marathon - and now the pair hope to raise £1,500 for the charity.

"Before the Edinburgh Half Marathon last year, I'd done no running at all," said Emer.

"Now I'm doing my first full marathon - it's been a journey.

"Over the last few weeks, the training has gotten more challenging, but, when I'm running, I tend to think about the challenges my dad has faced in and out of hospital, and his courageous nature to carry on."

Kealan said: "After seeing my sister do such a great job last year at the half marathon and raising an amazing amount for Myeloma UK, I was inspired to take on the challenge for such a great cause.

"I'm running this half marathon in tribute to my dad and everyone affected by myeloma.

"It's not just about crossing the finish line, it's about showing strength, raising awareness, and supporting the incredible work of this charity.

"Every step I take is for him and the fight he's facing with courage every day."

Myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrow and affects more than 33,000 people in the UK - with over 2,300 people living with myeloma in Scotland.

Despite being the third most common type of blood cancer, myeloma is difficult to detect as symptoms are often linked to general ageing or minor conditions. While it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of cases.

Emer and Kealan are hoping to raise money for the charity to keep funding research into the condition - for their dad and every other family affected.

Emer said: "I want to prove to myself that I can do it and I want my dad to be proud of me.

"We are a very close family and are so lucky to have one another and good support networks who have kept us going and keep us positive.

"My dad himself has run marathons, so when it gets a bit tough I think, 'Well, I want to be like him.

"I want him to be proud of me and if he can sit through lengthy treatments, then I can absolutely run a marathon for him.

Kealan added: "My dad truly is my hero.

"I've never met a man who can remain so positive and show such determination every single day.

"He's the sort of person that would have undergone the most horrific of treatments and would never complain and ask about your day instead.

"He would do anything for anyone and always has a smile on his face whilst doing so.

"This Is for you Dad, keep fighting the good fight."

To support Emer and Kealan go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/kealan-and-emer-edinburghmarathon