Man with incurable cancer begins teaching career

Chris Johnson was told in 2020 his cancer was incurable

A man who has incurable cancer has begun a new career in teaching.

Chris Johnson, from Sunderland, was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) in 2019 at the age of 40, and was told in 2020 he had between two and five years to live.

He has now been employed by Southmoor Academy in the city as a learning support assistant.

Mr Johnson said: "I'm a sucker for a challenge and I want my life to be about what I can do, not what I can't do."

Signing up for the London Marathon in 2021 led to many other fundraising races and events

Mr Johnson has raised more than £40,000 for a children's cancer charity since being diagnosed, by completing challenges including the London Marathon, walking Hadrian's Wall and the Three Peaks.

But he said the Great North Run this year was his last race and so he was looking for a new purpose.

"I've been a school governor, and I did a bit of invigilating for exams and quite enjoyed it, so over the summer I did a few training courses" he said.

"This job came up, working with children with additional needs, so I applied and got it."

Chris Johnson was first diagnosed with cancer in 2019 and had surgery in 2022

Although his cancer has been stable for three years, a recent scan showed it had started to grow again.

The treatment has side-effects which are "annoying but manageable" but include frequent trips to the bathroom, extreme fatigue, dry skin and sore feet.

"I can't really do the big running challenges any more," Mr Johnson said.

"But I still want to make a difference to children's lives."

"I might only have a couple of years to live but I know I can still help people," he added.