Deryn Blackwell has defied the odds after battling two types of cancer
A teenager who was given just three days to live and has beaten cancer twice, has celebrated passing seven GCSEs despite only attending secondary school for a year.
Deryn Blackwell was one of the 700,000 students who received their GCSE results yesterday.
But unlike most, he managed to pass seven GCSEs despite only attending secondary school for 12 months due to gruelling cancer treatment for not just one but two different cancers.
When Blackwell was 10 years old he was diagnosed with leukemia and just 18 months later whilst still receiving chemotherapy for his leukemia, he was given the sad news that he had developed a second, extremely rare type of cancer, Langerhans Cell Sarcoma.
Then in December 2013, his parents were told his cancer was too aggressive and that he had only a few days left to live, so they decided to celebrate Christmas early. But Blackwell defied everyone’s expectations and survived. He has since sent up his own charity – DoEveRYthiNg – and returned to Wayland Academy in Watton, Norfolk in September last year to complete his final year of secondary school.
Blackwell managed to pass an impressive seven GCSEs, including a B in science and C grades in additional science and mathematics. His mother wrote on Facebook: “Blown away by how well he’s done with only the final year under his belt. I’m so proud I could cry.”
“What a milestone for all of his friends too, it’s so lovely to see them all doing so well. To be experiencing this with Deryn is phenomenal, I’m overwhelmed.”
“He tried his hardest over the last year but he was always of the mindset that whatever he got, he’d be happy for the experience.”
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