A marathon runner diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer has urged people not to ignore even small symptoms after experiencing what he initially thought were minor health issues. The shocking diagnosis has changed his life, pushing him to raise awareness about this deadly disease.
Lee Rawlinson, 51, a medical sales representative and passionate marathon runner, lives in Essex, UK, with his wife, Faye, and their two children, Darcey, 10, and Marley, seven. On Halloween, Lee received the devastating news of his pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Medics revealed the disease had already spread to his liver, leaving him with just months to live.
Despite the grim prognosis, Lee focused on making “magical memories” with his family during what he called his “last Christmas.” The dad-of-two has since shared his story to raise awareness of the disease, hoping to help others avoid a similar fate.
“This will be my last Christmas,” Lee said. “I’m facing the jaws of death. I’m sailing toward it, and I can’t do anything about it. But my fear isn’t death itself; it’s leaving my children and my wife behind.”
Lee’s journey began in January when he noticed a dull ache in his lower abdomen. At the time, he dismissed it as stress-related discomfort. Even after visiting his GP and being referred to a gastroenterologist, he faced a 21-week wait for further testing. His initial blood and urine tests came back clear, which led to no immediate follow-up.
By September, the pain became unbearable. “I was taking painkillers daily, but they weren’t helping. It felt like someone was slowly pushing a scaffolding pole right through me,” Lee explained. One week later, during his son’s football practice, the severe pain sent him to the emergency room at Southend University Hospital. A CT scan shortly after revealed the devastating truth: terminal pancreatic cancer.
Reflecting on his experience, Lee shared how critical it is to listen to your body and act on unusual symptoms. “I didn’t think much of it when the dull ache started,” he admitted. “But I wish I’d paid closer attention and pushed for further tests earlier. Early diagnosis could make all the difference.”
Lee learned that his grandfather had pancreatic cancer, which indicated a genetic predisposition. “The consultant told me that it’s sometimes just your destiny,” Lee said. He hopes his story will encourage others to take even minor symptoms seriously.
“If you experience persistent pain or unusual symptoms, don’t brush them off,” Lee urged. “Get checked out, even if it seems insignificant. It might save your life.”
Despite the grim outlook, Lee has focused on cherishing time with his family. He surprised his children with a trip to Lapland and is determined to create lasting memories for them. “I want to be there for my kids, even if it’s only in their memories,” he said.
He also emphasized the need for more research and support for pancreatic cancer. “Survival rates for pancreatic cancer have barely improved since the 1970s. This must change,” Lee said. “We need people to take notice so this disease doesn’t destroy more young families.”
Lee continues to live each day to the fullest, balancing the harsh reality of his diagnosis with the love and joy he shares with his family. He remains a strong advocate for awareness and early detection, encouraging others to act quickly when their bodies send warning signals.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or via their 24/7 live chat feature.
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It was supposed to be just another hearing—a chance for Congressman Adam Schiff, Hollywood’s favorite political warrior, to dazzle the cameras and deliver another scathing lecture to his opponents. The D.C. press had already picked their winner: Schiff, the brilliant House Intelligence Committee star, squaring up against Senator John Kennedy—a rumpled Republican from Louisiana, famous for his slow drawl, sly smile, and ever-present folksy charm. Most insiders called it a mismatch: the Harvard prosecutor versus the “country lawyer.”
Nobody knew that in less than an hour, Schiff’s career would be left in ruins.
The Arena: A Packed Senate Chamber
The night before, rumors buzzed through Washington about fireworks to come. By dawn, reporters had staked out spots in the galleries. On social media, #SchiffDestroys trended, echoing mainstream predictions: Adam Schiff would outmaneuver Kennedy, embarrass him as “out of his depth,” and deliver another viral moment.
But as Senator Kennedy shuffled into the room, looking more like he’d come from a fishing trip than the halls of power, those who underestimated him made their first mistake.
Schiff, meanwhile, arrived immaculate—expensive suit, perfect posture, every hair in place, gliding to his seat as if he owned the room. He flashed his signature confident smile to the cameras. For him, this was just another performance.
The hearing opened with routine questions. Then, as the buzz in the chamber built, Schiff leaned forward with a smirk and let loose the first shot.
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“Perhaps stick to crawfish farming and leave constitutional law to those who understand it,” Schiff taunted, his voice dripping with condescension.
The room tittered. But Kennedy didn’t even blink. Instead, he tipped his head and quietly replied, “Well, golly, Mr. Schiff, you’re right. I’m just a country lawyer. Went to some little school—oh, yeah, Harvard Law. Clerked for the Supreme Court. But I reckon that don’t count for much up here.”
Ripples of surprise swept the room. This wasn’t the hick they expected.
Then Kennedy opened his battered briefcase and laid out folders bearing official seals. “My daddy taught me, when someone talks real fancy, you better check their homework. I checked yours, Mr. Schiff. Boy, did I find things.”
The Interrogation Begins
Kennedy’s folksy charm vanished as his cross-examination began. He laid out timelines with military precision: March 15th, 2019—Schiff attends a classified briefing, calls CNN 47 minutes later, and by dinnertime, CNN runs a story with details only someone in the room could know.
“Now, I’m just a simple man. But a classified meeting at 2 p.m. and a CNN exclusive at 6? That sounds to me like what we lawyers call ‘leaking classified information.’ But maybe it’s just a coincidence…”
Schiff went pale. Kennedy kept piling on evidence—April 3rd, 2019, same story, but with MSNBC. Over two years: 23 briefings attended by Schiff, followed by nearly immediate matching media leaks.
Then came the blunt hammer: “Now, I may be just a country lawyer, but I know what the penalty is for leaking classified information… 10 years in federal prison. If it jeopardizes American lives? That’s treason.”
The cameras caught Schiff visibly sweating now, hands clamped on the desk. His trademark confidence fading as Kennedy’s trap closed.
Blood in the Water: The Russia Collusion Claims
But Kennedy was just getting started.
He played clips of Schiff’s endless TV appearances, hundreds of times intoning: “evidence in plain sight” of Trump-Russia collusion. All sound, no substance. Then Kennedy produced the classified briefings received by Schiff—showing the FBI had told him again and again: there was no evidence of criminal conspiracy or coordination, ever.
Nineteen times, Kennedy tallied, Schiff had been told the collusion narrative was false. But 237 times, Schiff had gone on TV and asserted the opposite.
“In Louisiana, Mr. Schiff,” Kennedy deadpanned, “when you say something under oath that ain’t true, we call that lying.”
The Hollywood Connection and Money Trail
Proof mounted, folder by folder. Kennedy produced FEC documents: Schiff, who claimed to stand for the people, had taken $2.8 million from Hollywood interests—and millions more through speaking fees, book advances, and family payouts funneled through consulting and production companies.
Kennedy’s staff mapped every major donation against Schiff’s votes— every time Hollywood wanted censorship or favorable tech regulation, Schiff delivered. Internal emails subpoenaed from tech companies showed Schiff’s office asking Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to quietly take action against posts or users that threatened his narratives.
“You turned your committee into a censorship bureau for your Hollywood paymasters. You didn’t just sell your vote—you laundried influence through your whole family,” Kennedy declared.
The October Surprise and “Election Interference”
Then came the moment that would become cable news legend—the October 2020 “October Surprise.”
As Kennedy presented digital timelines, he told the world: after the New York Post broke the Hunter Biden laptop story, Schiff appeared on CNN within hours, denouncing it as “Russian disinformation”—with nothing to substantiate the claim. Simultaneously, Schiff orchestrated a letter from 51 former intel officials, which was later proven false—FBI documents now revealed they had already verified the laptop’s authenticity.
At Schiff’s prompting, Big Tech clamped down: Twitter locked out the story, Facebook throttled it, YouTube de-monetized all discussion. Kennedy laid out polling data: a swing of even 4-9% of voters could have changed the election outcome had they learned the news.
“You didn’t just suppress speech, Mr. Schiff. You didn’t just lie. You swayed a presidential election.”
The Constitutional Reckoning
Kennedy, calm and relentless, produced a pocket constitution—battered, highlighted, and full of notes. He read Schiff’s oath aloud, then enumerated every instance where Schiff voted to expand surveillance, restrict the First Amendment, or work around the Bill of Rights for political gain.
“You didn’t just attack your opponents. You attacked the Constitution itself.”
A Career Destroyed
The gallery fell silent. Kennedy read letters from Schiff’s constituents, real people—progressives and moderates, Republicans and Democrats, all expressing heartbreak and betrayal.
“Mr. Schiff, sometimes simple country truth beats fancy city lies. Sometimes constitutional principle matters more than political ambition. And today… today, America saw what happens when someone remembers their oath—and someone else forgets why they took it.”
The room erupted in bipartisan applause—a moment not just historic, but cathartic. The cameras lingered on Schiff, all bravado gone, staring at his hands, unable to meet the gaze of his colleagues or the cameras.
Within days, his committee assignments vanished, donors evaporated, and legal scrutiny loomed. Kennedy, the “country lawyer,” became a national hero, his approval ratings soaring across parties—a rare unifier in a divided age.
Most important of all, the hearing marked a turning point: a reminder that evidence, truth, and constitutional fidelity can still matter in America.
“In Washington,” Kennedy said as the chamber emptied, “sometimes all it takes is a little country wisdom—and the courage to ask the questions the powerful hope no one will.”