Kirkliston dad who was given months to live after terminal cancer diagnosis raises almost £40,000 towards bucket list

A father-of-two from Kirkliston whom doctors told would not survive a year is fighting on.

Rishabh Bothra, 37, first had concerns about his health when his daughter, who was five at the time, outran him at a 1k race.

The financial analysis went to the doctors to make sure there was nothing wrong and said he was told that he was “young” and “healthy” and there was nothing to worry about.

Over the coming months, Rishabh began to experience pain in his stomach which came to a head in May 2018 when he woke up in “unbearable pain” and wife Anjana also 37 said that they “needed to get him seen straight away”.

Rishabh was booked in for checks at St John’s Hospital and after results showed abnormalities the young father was transferred to the Western General where he was diagnosed with a rare and incurable type of cancer, Cholangiocarcinoma.

Doctors informed the couple that the cancer had metastised into multiple organs, meaning that it had spread throughout his body and he had less than a year to live.

Rishabh said: “The diagnosis was devastating, it came at the exact point in my life when I thought I had everything. At 36 I had a beautiful family with two kids, a job I loved and paid well.”

But he added: “I have always been positive. I never believed the prognosis, I knew my body was stronger than the disease and I was and still am determined to fight, to do what I had to do to stay alive.”

Shortly after diagnosis Rishabh started chemotherapy which he said was “initially very positive”.

He even managed to complete a 5k run with his daughter Pahal, then seven, one month after finishing his first round of chemotherapy.

However, in early 2019 the Bothra family were told that the treatment had stopped working and he started on a new medicine in June 2019.

Rishabh said: “It worked very well until August when I got jaundice which brought me down.”

Despite this setback, Rishabh said: “I have to keep fighting I want to be there for my kids and will fight to the end. My wife and I are currently exploring other options.”

Rishabh is “determined to keep living” and is now looking to go on holiday with Anjana their daughter Pahal and three-year-old son Ved.

He said: “ I don’t mind where as long as it’s warm and there is a beach for the kids to play on and Anjana and I can just sit.”

Rishabh has since launched a Gofundme page, on which he says: "Spirit doesn't feed the bank balance though and the account is feeling the pinch. All the things I want to do while I am still alive and what I want to leave for my family has become less and less.

The page has so far raised almost £40,000 of a target of £50,000.

You can donate HERE