Zack Van Aarde led an active lifestyle, but one day things ‘took a turn’
08:57, 14 Oct 2025Updated 09:01, 14 Oct 2025
Zack Van Aarde during treatment(Image: Zack Van Aarde/SWNS)
A dad who thought he was suffering acid reflux discovered his symptoms were oesophagus cancer after he began “vomiting blood”. Zack Van Aarde, 41, visited the GP and began medication for acid reflux after experiencing heartburn and indigestion in early 2024.
But in July 2025, Zack’s wife, Jess, 42, woke up after she heard him collapse on the stairs and found him vomiting blood. The dad-of-two was rushed to Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, where doctors initially suspected he had suffered a stomach ulcer.
However, following an endoscopy – a procedure involving a camera down the throat – doctors diagnosed Zack with stage four oesophagus cancer. He began chemotherapy and will continue having treatment every two weeks with regular scans and blood tests to see if the 6cm tumour has reduced and he will be suitable for surgery to remove it.
The couple are now fundraising to financially support their family – including their two kids Joshua, 10, and Hannah eight – while Zack is unable to work. The funds are also going towards “additional therapies” that are not available on the NHS to go alongside his chemotherapy like Hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy – which increases the delivery of oxygen to the body – which Zack hopes will “rejuvenate” his cells more quickly. Doctors strongly advise that cancer patients should consult with medical experts before seeking alternative therapies.
Zack, an account executive at a cyber security firm, from Bantham, south Devon, said: “It’s been a rollercoaster. I always kept myself fit and healthy as a young dad. It came as a massive shock, but we’re doing everything we can to give myself the best chance.”
Zack Van Aarde undergoing chemotherapy(Image: Zack Van Aarde/SWNS)
Zack always considering himself “active” and regularly ran ultramarathons when he began experiencing gastric issues at the start of 2024. Despite taking medication from the GP, the symptoms persisted and things “took a turn” in July 2025.
Jess, a holiday consultant, said: “I woke up at 5am and heard heavy breathing and someone collapse. I raced out and saw Zack on the floor and he’d been vomiting blood.
“We didn’t want to scare the kids, so quickly got him in the room and called an ambulance. He’d lost so much blood he was struggling to stand or sit up.”
Paramedics raced Zack to hospital, where doctors ran tests and the following day, doctors broke the news that Zack had cancer.
Jess said: “It was a huge shock. It was so surreal – it was like a film. You just can’t believe this is happening.”
Zack undergoing oxygen chamber therapy(Image: Zack Van Aarde/SWNS)
Doctors initially planned to operate on the tumour, but decided to begin chemotherapy first with the hope of shrinking it. Zack is undergoing chemotherapy sessions every two weeks to fight the cancer, as well as having weekly blood tests and scans to check the progression.
Zack said: “It’s the hardest thing as a parent, telling your kids you’ve got cancer. But they’re very resilient and they’re handled it amazingly.”
The couple is currently fundraising for additional treatments that are not available on the NHS, and Zack is continuing to run throughout his treatment, and will run “one mile” for every £10 raised on his GoFundMe page.
Zack with wife Jess, daughter Hannah and son Joshua(Image: Zack Van Aarde/SWNS)
He said: “Chemotherapy kills all the cells – good and bad ones. To give my cells the best chance of rejuvenating more quickly, we’ve been researching additional therapies.
“I’ve undergone hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, which increases oxygen to the body, IV drips with intense doses of vitamin C – to boost the immune system – and red light therapy. I’m determined to do whatever I can to give to me the best chance for my family.”