A YOUNG fit and healthy man is inspiring friends and family with his positive response to a shock cancer diagnosis.

Luke Harding from Letterston went from boxing and playing football to coughing up blood and being given the devastating news that he had stage four lung cancer all within a week two and half months ago.

And if that wasn’t enough an MRI in preparation for surgery revealed the 29-year-old lorry driver also had secondary cancer in the form of brain metastasis.

But Luke’s determination to fight his cancer and not let him get him down has been inspirational to the many people following his progress and he has also raised thousands for Withybush Hospital’s cancer ward.

“It came completely and utterly out of the blue.

“'Medical mystery’ they keep calling me, I don’t fit into any brackets, it’s just down to bad luck,” said Luke, adding it was extremely difficult news to come to terms with.

A friend in New Zealand, Gareth Edwards, where Luke used to live, decided if Luke could endure 20 rounds of radiotherapy, chemotherapy as well as Stereotactic radiosurgery, he could run the Auckland marathon.

Gareth also had charity wrist band made with the logo #teamHarding #togetherstronger which he sent over to Pembrokeshire and have been snapped up by those standing up to cancer with Luke.

“He messaged and said my attitude was inspirational and he wasn’t going to give in either.

“I just see this as how I would deal with any obstacle in my life, I’ve not been told its terminal, the world doesn’t stop turning.

Luke has had another 400 bands made up and after smashing his £1,000 target for Withybush in 12 hours he now hopes to raise at least £3,000.

“Withybush were amazing and have helped close friends and family so I wanted to give something back, I mentioned it on Facebook and it went absolutely crazy.”

As well as fantastic support from friends and family, who he thanked for their lovely messages, Luke also highlighted how great his employers Gamallt Ready Mix Concreate in Cardigan have been.

Not only did the firm create an office based job for him after he was told he could not drive but colleagues would come to Letterston to pick him up for work when he was well enough.

Last week he shaved his head as he decided he would dictate when he lost his hair not cancer. Luke’s final round of chemotherapy is due on Christmas day.

“It will be a bit of a different Christmas. I’ll wait until February for the results and if that’s all ok it will be another six months to find out about my head.”

He and a friend are setting up a vlog which Luke hopes will help others facing treatment remain positive.

“Don’t get me wrong, I wake up every single morning and I think ‘why me?’ but you have a choice – give yourself a pep talk and get through it or you give up,” said Luke.

You can support Luke’s fundraising at Just Giving Team Harding.