Miraculous recovery stuns Pompey '˜pirate' Craig

A FALKLANDS veteran who was told he had an incurable tumour the size of a grapefruit in his lung is making a miraculous recovery.
Craig Bryden leads out the Pompey team against Plymouth at Fratton Park in April Picture: Joe PeplerCraig Bryden leads out the Pompey team against Plymouth at Fratton Park in April Picture: Joe Pepler
Craig Bryden leads out the Pompey team against Plymouth at Fratton Park in April Picture: Joe Pepler

Ex-sailor Craig Bryden, 55, became an internet sensation after he wore a pirate outfit to his first chemotherapy session at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham.

The Copnor dad-of-two has been wearing the swashbuckling attire at every stage of his treatment and yesterday revealed his latest round of tests showed the cancer in his lungs had disappeared.

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Craig, a former navy steward who survived the sinking of HMS Sheffield in the Falklands War and spent 20 years in the Senior Service, was left dumbfounded by the news.

‘I still have the cancer in my liver, lymph nodes and neck but this is still excellent news,’ he said.

‘This is a huge victory. My oncologist consultant’s words were, “This is the same as an X-ray of a perfectly healthy lung”. So I feel absolutely brilliant.’

As previously reported, Craig started dressing up as a pirate as a way of brightening his treatment and inspiring others with cancer.

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His story has been shared thousands of times across the globe over social media, making him an internet star.

The football fan even had the chance to lead out Pompey at Fratton Park with Blues fans screaming his name.

Craig still faces a long road of recovery – today sees him beginning his fourth batch of chemotherapy, with further tests taking place later this month.

However, the courageous veteran admitted he was looking forward to his remaining six weeks of treatment.

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‘You should never give up. Don’t ever think, “oh my God, I have got a death sentence” because you haven’t,’ he added.

‘I was told that I was inoperable and terminal.

‘My aim is to just stay positive and strong and prove all those consultants wrong.’

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