“If you take anything from this, please — get the vaccine,” says wife
10:02, 03 Dec 2025Updated 10:07, 03 Dec 2025
Alex Bryant and son Ace(Image: Samara Bryant)
A fundraiser has been launched to help a Devon dad with a killer illness fulfil a final dream with his devoted family – and to raise awareness of a vaccine which could save the lives of other men.
Alexander Bryant, 39, has end stage throat cancer. He has been unable to eat since Christmas Day 2024 because his jaw no longer works and he relies solely on a feeding tube.
Doctors have delivered the devastating news that they have no hope of curing the disease. Alex, who lived in Newton St Cyres and went to Queen Elizabeth’s School in Crediton, probably has a year left, though every person reacts differently to cancer.
His wife, Samara, has one final wish – to buy a motorhome and go on one final adventure under the stars together, enjoying what time they have left together with four-year-old son Ace and to visit family and friends in the UK.
Samara also wants to deliver a message about throat cancer in men. She says there has been a sharp rise in head and neck cancer in men due to the HPV virus – which is usually associated with cervical cancer. Though screening is offered to all women most men don’t realise they can easily get a vaccination.
Alex Bryant, wife Samara and son Ace(Image: Samara Bryant)
A fundraiser has been launched by Alex’s best friend and has so far raised nearly £6,000.
Samara has told DevonLive about her husband’s daily battle with the disease – stage 4 tonsil cancer diagnosed in December 23, 2024 – and the devastating impact on their lives. It came as a double blow not long after he was told he had type 1 diabetes.
“His last proper meal was Christmas Day 2024 where we had roast beef – his favourite,” Samara said. “Since then he has struggled to eat as he couldn’t even fit a fork in through his mouth due to the tumour growing into his jaw muscles.”
Alex Bryant, wife Samara and son Ace(Image: Samara Bryant)
Simple things like drinking water or having a beer with friends he can no longer do. He struggles to talk due to the limited jaw muscles that cannot move.
“All the simple pleasures in life have gone,” says Samara. “What would you give to be able to eat or favourite meal, go for a beer with friends? To be told you won’t be able to open your mouth again or eat your favourite foods is heart-breaking.”
Alex started radiation and chemotherapy treatment in January. Doctors said the illness was caused by the HPV virus. He ended up in hospital for eight days due to hallucinations from the treatment, medication and sleep deprivation.
Alex Bryant, wife Samara and son Ace(Image: Samara Bryant)
“Once he got through treatment he managed to slowly try and recover, however his mouth never got better,” says Samara. “He still couldn’t open it with physio or eat or drink anything. Everything is through a feeding tube into his stomach.”
Scans showed something wrong in his throat and around the jaw but the doctors couldn’t tell whether it was radiation damage or stubborn cancer. Finally, in October the tumour was identified. It had survived all the intense treatment.
“He now has non-curable tonsil cancer and the oncologist has given us on average a year for his prognosis. It could be less than a year or maybe more than a year. They can’t tell as every person is different and reacts differently to cancer.
Alex Bryant and son Ace(Image: Samara Bryant)
“This cancer Alex has is supposed to be highly curable and over 90% survive it. But for us, that hasn’t happened.”
Alex also has Huntington’s Disease – a condition that causes brain cells to die. His mum passed away from it in 2019.
The couple underwent specialised IVF to make sure their son, Ace, wouldn’t inherit the HD genes.
Samara herself has coped with the trauma of her own illnesses, including endometriosis and is currently recovering from a total hysterectomy that she had in October 2025. All this whilst caring for her husband and cherished son. She says: “Our dream is to be able to get a motorhome. We had always dreamed of this and dreamed of having one to travel the UK and Europe for our honeymoon that we never got to take due to the pandemic and IVF cycles.
Alex Bryant, wife Samara and son Ace(Image: Samara Bryant)
“Then we had Ace and our German shepherd dog Mac died suddenly in 2023 November. Mac was our baby when we couldn’t have a baby and my husband’s favourite breed of dog. We have been in survival mode all of this year just trying to get past each day.
“But now we have been given this news we need to make the most of the time we have left. With a motorhome we can travel the UK whilst my husband can have his home comforts and carry all his medication and meal replacements drinks. He can rest when he needs to. My child can relax too.
“We want to take our son to the Lake District where we eloped to in 2019 to get married, just us and our dog Mac. We want to show Ace where we got married and have a family photo shoot done of us to cherish forever.
“We can go down to Cornwall to all the places we want to see and to all the places we’ve been and loved. We have always wanted to go to Scotland and said if we had a motorhome we could go there and travel the mountains and be able to sleep under the stars.”
Alex Bryant(Image: Samara Bryant)
She also wants to spread the word and raise awareness around this type of cancer in men. Originally it was thought only women could have the HPV vaccine – known previously as the cervical cancer vaccine.
“I want to spread the awareness regarding how men need to go get the vaccine from their GPs,” she says. “If you take anything from this, please — get the HPV vaccine. It is for men and boys too, not just women and girls.
“Men absolutely need this vaccine. Alex did nothing wrong. He became poorly with tonsillitis, it never got better, and the HPV cells multiplied and turned cancerous. It wasn’t caused by smoking, alcohol or anything like that. He just got sick with a sore throat and tonsillitis.
“HPV does not only affect women and girls, as people once thought. Our age bracket (30s & 40s) is now seeing a rise in this type of cancer because back then, the HPV vaccine was only given to girls in school. Now, years later, men are suffering.”
Alex Bryant, Samara and dog Mac(Image: Samara Bryant)
The fundraiser has been set up by Alex’s best friend Tom Mitchell and is half way towards its £10,000 target.
Tom describes Alex as ‘one of the strongest, most quietly resilient people I’ve ever known’.
“A donation could help make every moment count, with his beautiful wife Samara and their miracle son Ace at his side,” he says on the Gofundme page.
“It’s been one thing after another. I truly do not want anyone else to go through this.”
“Alex’s legacy is his son. He may not have much time left with him, but together with Samara they have broken the Huntington’s cycle.
“Ace will never suffer or witness it and that is his legacy, so Ace can go forward and live a long and happy life. Please help them to give Ace memories with his daddy they can all hold onto forever.
“I know life is hard financially for all of us at the moment, especially at this time of year but any contribution is so greatly appreciated.”
Samara adds: “We really hope we can use the time we have left to make memories and be able to give our son the time with his dad to make those memories that father and sons should have years to make not maybe a year to make.”
To donate visit Gofundme.
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