Adolescent Cancer Survivor Completes 3,000 Push-Up Fundraiser

A young individual, having undergone three years of cancer therapy, successfully completed a challenge of 3,000 push-ups over a 30-day period, aiming to collect funds for a charitable cause. Adam Dabrowski, a 15-year-old resident of Newhall, South Derbyshire, received a cancer diagnosis at age 12, but has recently been informed that his condition is in remission. He undertook this challenge alongside his father, with the goal of generating donations for the Teenage Cancer Trust; both individuals performed 100 push-ups daily for the duration of 30 days. Adam stated: “I ended up gaining a lot of weight that I needed to lose so I thought the charity challenge would be a good idea and it’s to help the charity that helped me.” Adam, currently enrolled at Blessed Robert Catholic Voluntary Academy in Burton-upon-Trent, received a leukaemia diagnosis towards the conclusion of Year 7, following the onset of breathlessness, even while resting. He recounted: “At that age I had no idea what that meant but I knew it was bad when my mum started to cry.” He continued: “I was given a three-year plan for chemotherapy. It was also happening at the time of Covid so I had to be really careful to avoid infections.” He further explained: “I lost most of my muscle mass and my grandma had to come over from Poland to help look after me. I was having trouble getting up the stairs, trouble even standing, I was really weak.” He added: “I missed a lot of school but after the first nine months, I then went down to having chemotherapy every day in tablets.” Additionally, Adam underwent weekly blood tests, received chemotherapy monthly at the hospital, and had a lumbar puncture performed every three months. Currently, he attends monthly check-ups and is back in full-time education, preparing for his GCSE examinations scheduled for the upcoming year. His father, Mariusz, proposed that they undertake the charitable push-up challenge during a celebration commemorating his son’s entry into remission. Adam remarked: “As the days went on, I found I could do 40 to 50 push ups in one go. I’m just excited to feel like myself now and I can live my life like kids my age do.” Mariusz further commented: “We are proud of Adam’s strength and resilience.” He continued: “It seems now like ages ago but we remember every moment of his journey. We cannot thank the doctors and nurses enough who looked after our son.” Samuel Gray, the head teacher at Blessed Robert Sutton, stated: “As the new head I was so sad to hear of Adam’s journey, yet it has been so inspiring to see him around school smiling and with so many friends around him.” He added: “To now embark on a mission to support others like him is truly inspiring.” For updates, follow BBC Derby on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or through WhatsApp at 0808 100 2210. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.