Former Christchurch Boys’ High School head boy Jake Bailey made headlines last November when he delivered an exceptional leaving speech, just a week after he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Now, four months after he was told he was in remission, the 18-year-old has delivered another stirring speech, talking about his experience beating cancer at the Tour de Cure Australia Snow Ball, which is a fundraiser for cancer research.
“I wake up and I realise that I’m not in another hospital bed and I’m not in a box in the ground and I smile,” Jake told the audience.
“Every day starts with me not being dead, and what a fantastic way to start each day.”
The courageous teen spoke about the lessons he learnt during his illness, and the way his family dealt with the heartbreaking situation.
In November, a week before he spoke to his fellow Chrischurch Boys’ High School students in the end of year speech, Jake was diagnosed with cancer and given just three weeks to live.
He was allowed out of hospital to attend his prizegiving, where he delivered the emotional address that was shared around the world on social media.
“I wrote a speech, and a week before I was due to deliver this speech tonight they said, ‘You’ve got cancer’.
“They said, if you don’t get any treatment within the next three weeks you’re going to die. Then they told me I wouldn’t be here tonight to deliver this speech.”
In his moving address, Jake encouraged his peers to seize all of life’s opportunities and live without regret.
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