‘I have a terminal cancer diagnosis, but I’m excited about the future’

Paul Garratt is no stranger to suffering. It seems a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over has been poured into his lap. And yet, he is trusting that God will do something beautiful through his life

Paul Garratt clutched the sick bucket as his girlfriend, Rachel, bundled him into the car, pain shooting through him. A minor discomfort under his ribs had erupted into uncontrollable vomiting, and when they arrived at the hospital, a nurse took one look at him and rushed him to the front of the socially distanced queue. Now in a private room, Paul fell to his knees. The intense pain made standing impossible.

Five days earlier, the couple had celebrated Paul’s 39^th birthday. They had met a year earlier on a Christian dating website and experienced a “love at first sight” moment when meeting in person. It came as a complete surprise to both of them. Rachel had previously endured an acrimonious divorce after her husband of nine years walked out on her and their two young children, while Paul had been widowed in 2018, aged just 36, after aggressive breast cancer claimed his wife’s young life.